Walkers of the Abyss
by Dark demon619
Summary: Mysteriously transported to a unknown world, Jack finds himself in a world of despair, darkness, and the undead. Few in this realm wish to help him and all others seek to claim his humanity by violent means. Now with Demons, Undead, and god knows what awaiting him, he must find a way back home before he too joins the legions of the undead. And when he returns, will he be the same?
1. The Dream

**Intro:**

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><p><em><em>In the Age of Ancients, The world was unformed, shrouded by fog. <em>_A land of grey crags, archtrees, and everlasting dragons.__

__But then there was Fire. __And with Fire came Disparity. __Heat and cold, life and death, and of course... Light and Dark.__

__Then, from the Dark, They came, __and found the Souls of Lords within the flame.__

__Nito, the First of the Dead. __The Witch of Izalith, and her daughters of Chaos. __Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight, and his faithful knights. __And the furtive pygmy, so easily forgotten.__

__With the Strength of Lords, they challenged the dragons.__

__Gwyn's mighty bolts peeled apart their stone scales. __The witches weaved great firestorms. __Nito unleashed a miasma of death and disease.__

__And Seath the Scaleless betrayed his own, and the dragons were no more. __Thus began the Age of Fire..._  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>When Jack woke up this morning, he had expected quite a few things...<em>

_Doing homework, messing around with his friends, and maybe even driving around with his partner who happened to be a gigantic female robot who could transform into a motorcycle. For him, all of that could have been fairly normal, even the last one._

_However, waking up with nearly no recent memories and a splitting headache? No, that would have been odd._

_"What? Whats going...oh, my head..."_

_Head pounding, Jack Darby could only groan as he felt his mind slowly return to him._

_ What was going on? Where was he? Where were the bots? And what had he been doing? All of these questions went unanswered for the moment, leaving the teen to just sit up from...where-ever he was._

_"Okay...that hurts." Jack moaned, rubbing his back. What had he been laying on? It felt stiffer then that crappy couch Bumblebee found for the teens to sit on back at the base._

_Actually taking a moment to look around, Jack found himself wishing that he had been sleeping on that old crappy couch. Instead, the boy somehow found himself outside an ancient looking...__Colosseum? The circular layout of the area and stone walls seemed to fit with that idea, but Jack for the life of himself couldn't remember why he was there._

_There were also several trees and a large city off in the distance, but none of that mattered to the boy at that moment._

_Hadn't he been with the bots just a moment ago? His memories were shaky at best, but Jack was certain that he wasn't heading toward some ancient ruins or something. But if so, then why was he here? The bots wouldn't just leave him here, or did something happen with the Ground Bridge or something? Was there another Ground Bridge malfunction? Only instead of sending him to a strange 'Shadow Zone', this one sent him halfway across the world? _

_Well, at least there wouldn't be any Zombie-Con to deal with this time...hopefully._

_Standing up, the boy let his feet guide him through the ancient looking Colosseum. He wasn't a history nut, but Jack didn't recognize anything about this place. Not the shape, the structure, or the details. And the smell...oh god the smell. It wasn't just the Colosseum, it was the entire area._

_It all stank of death.  
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_Rotting flesh (not that Jack knew thats what it was), decaying bones, it all made the young boy want to puke his brains out._

_Even with death in the air however, Jack unknowingly continued forward with his feet dragging him further into the structure. Why though? Why was he drawn into this bleak place? there was a small forest and what looked like a bridge behind him, why not head that way and see if he could find help?  
><em>

_But no, he continued onward. It felt as if there was something calling him in there, begging for something. A release perhaps? Some help of some kind? But if so, then why? Why him? What could Jack do for whoever this was? It made the boy's mind spin even more. He didn't even know where he was...so how could help anyone?  
><em>

_Eventually walking through an opening in the structure, Jack heard what almost sounded like someone talking. The voice was hard to make out due to the distance but Jack was almost certain that he heard a mumbling at the least. _

_With the possibility of finding someone who might know what was going on, Jack quickly ran toward the opening and into a much larger chamber. The doorway had been shrouded in a thin fog oddly enough, but Jack really didn't care. This was all too strange for his tastes and with the possible chance of getting some answers was worth anything he might see._

_"Hello?" he called out, running toward the 'person' in question, "Excuse me? Um, sir? Could you help me with some..."_

_"...thing?"_

_With the figure he had thought was someone coming into view, Jack came to a forceful stop. Even if he heard this...thing speak, it wasn't human or at least wasn't anymore. _

_The creature had a humanoid form but nearly everything about it seemed wrong. Its arms were far too long and misshaped, the elbows bent at the wrong place. With no shirt covering its boy. Jack could easily notice the pale, blue-ish skin that the creature had. And its head...a round bulbous head, something Jack couldn't even describe. The creature even had multiple red eyes..._

_...all of which were staring hatefully at Jack._

_"...what the heck..."_

_Head bobbing around in a manor that seemed so inhuman, the creature turned its sights on Jack. Arms flailing, the monster let off a hideous screech before running straight toward the boy. Jack would have ran for the hills at this point too if it wasn't for something...new happening.  
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_-SINK-_

_Before the monster could even move a foot or two in Jack's direction, a large grey and blue blur suddenly appeared and smashed into the creature from above. With a sickening crunch, the creature was crushed under the weight of this new arrival, something long and sharp stabbing into the monster's chest as it was pinned to the ground.  
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_Stabbing into the disgusting creature was a massive figure. Clothed in an old, rustic and broken looking armor with blue dingy cloth tucked underneath it, the figure seemed to be a man who stood at an impressive height. Even leaning forward Jack could see that this figure would have towered over him along with any normal human. In fact, how he moved didn't seem human at all. Leaping from such a high distance and somehow one-handing a sword larger than even Jack himself? That shouldn't be possible. And combine all of that with the fact that his left arm seemed to be broken and…_

_...what was this thing? _

_Twitching slightly, the massive knight stabbed into the creature once again before looking at Jack. The teen couldn't see the knight's face due to his hood, but he had a feeling that there wasn't anything good under there. _

_Straightening up a bit, the knight started to growl at the teen. A shadowy and sickly looking mist started to gather around the knight, almost responding to the figure's rage. Twisting around the his body, the massive Knight roared at Jack, nearly knocking the boy on his behind just by force alone._

_Twisting around, the knight somehow lifted his massive sword and rested it on his shoulder, the corpse still impaled on the blade._

_Then with a flick of his arm, the knight flung the disgusting corpse towards the young teen. _

_Waking up from his shocked state, Jack just barely ducked out of the way of the wrecked corpse before it could slam into him. With a tiny bit of the monster's blood splashing on his face, Jack took a deep breath as the corpse crashed into the wall behind him.  
><em>

"_Wha…what the…" he muttered. Even after everything he had seen, this was too much._

_Too much or not, the Knight didn't stop there. Metal boots stomping against the stone ground, the massive Knight quickly ran toward Jack with his sword being dragged against the ground while his limp arm danged at his side.  
><em>

_With the massive figure approaching him, Jack tried to back away from the horrific sight. But the placement of a single stone ruined that idea, causing the boy to fall onto his behind. Reduced to crawling, Jack could only watch as the Knight jumped high into the air. Watching as the Knight flew through the him, Jack quickly crossed his arms in front of him as the knight's sword descended on him._

_"No!"_

_A flash of light erupted on that spot, engulfing both the Knight and the teen._

_And then, there was Darkness._

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><p><em><em><em>But soon, the flames will fade, and only Dark will remain. <em>_Even now, there are only embers, and man sees not light, but only endless nights.___

___And amongst the living are seen, carriers of the accursed Darksign.___

___Humans and Undead went crazy.___

___Hollowing and hollowing.___

___One by one.___

___It could've been mere months before the End.___

___Survive...___

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><p><em><em><em>AN:<em>__

___So, first Dark Souls and Transformers Prime crossover. Yep.___

___To warn you, if you haven't played Dark Souls then some of this stuff may seem odd...and very violent, but hey...I warned you.___

___Yes, First Chapter is short, but this is just a taste of what is to come if people enjoy this.___

___At the moment this is more so a test then a real starting chapter (although this IS the first chapter). I will of course continue this if there is a interest for it. But if not, then I may leave it as a one-shot and see if something happens later on.___

___PM/Review if you have any questions. Lets see where this goes shall we?___


	2. Fire-link Shrine

_Fire-link Shrine_

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><p>A dream...it had to be just a dream.<p>

Those were the thoughts Jack had as his mind drifted. A Knight and a Monster? A giant stone Collosium? Seriously? How could he believe such a thing. As a boy who lived in a small backwater town in Nevada with his mother, such things didn't seem possible or even realistic.

Even if he and two friends of his had discovered a Alien race of living machines, who were in the middle of fighting a secret war on earth, it couldn't have been real. The fact that his motorcycle was both a giant female alien robot and his partner was more believable then that. Right?

His life was far from normal but it had at least some semblance of normalcy...hadn't it?

For some reason, Jack felt his mind twist and turn. Something was missing from his memories...like a giant hole had been ripped right out. He still knew about his family, his friends, and his home...but where was he now? What had he been doing? What had been happening?

And what was this...darkness that was surrounding him?

* * *

><p><em><strong>Darkness, it spread like a Cancer, engulfing everything around him. He tried to kick at it, to put some distance between him and this horrid material but nothing worked. It would not stop, not until it was everywhere.<strong>_

_**The sickness even forced itself into the boy's mouth, into his eyes...it wanted him. Body and Soul...**_

_**He tried to scream, but the it silenced him, leaving him to the void...**_

_**...in nothing but silence.**_

* * *

><p>A small bit of light shining into his eyes, Jack let loose a small groan. What time was it? And when did he leave his blinds ope-<p>

"Ah, finally awakened have you?"

Shooting upward at the sudden voice, Jack nearly let out a small yelp. Looking around in a frantic manner, Jack was worried for a moment that he would awaken to that dream once again. However, the boy quickly discovered that the place around him was not the Coliseum.

_'Well...'_ Jack thought,_ '..at least it isn't as creepy as the last place was...'_

But, he wasn't in his room either...

Instead, the teen found himself in a similarly ruined area to his dream, but not as grand or ominous. Instead, it looked to be a completely ruined temple or caste-like structure, Jack couldn't be sure whichever. What he was sure of was that there was no gigantic building towering over him anymore…and no monsters or knights within. He was just alone, alone in this ruined place that seemed far outside his normal brand of weirdness. Still, at least he was alone…

Or at least he thought he was.

Turning towards the voice that had greeted him, Jack was glad to see that it wasn't another disfigured creature like those of his dreams or a horrific knight of grand height and power.

Instead, it was a man, not the monsters from his dream but an actual man. He sat off to the side, back against a wall of aged stone. Clad in a suit of chain-mail and leather gloves, the man looked over at Jack with a smile that creeped the boy out greatly.

"I was starting to believe that you weren't going to awaken." The man's sickly and sly voice chilled Jack to the bone, "Although, perhaps that could have been a better fate for you…"

If this situation had Jack feel unsettled before now, that didn't help at all.

"Oh, be silent. Can't you see that you're scaring the young lad?"

Hearing yet another voice, Jack looked behind himself and noticed yet another figure. It turned out to be another man, this one in a much larger set of armor. And it was a strange set of armor to be sure; it actually reminded Jack of an onion for some reason.

In one of the man's arms was a massive sword, so large that it was amazing that the man could wield something like that. In his other hand was a small round shield with a large spike placed at its center. It was almost odd to see a man wield such polarizing weapons, but really that wasn't the strange thing for Jack.

No, the fact that he was looking at armored people in the first place was strange enough.

Approaching the young boy, the knight offered knelled down slightly, "Ignore him, he tends to ramble about all sorts of nonsense, trying to be bring down the spirits of all who are near him." The knight pointed over to the first man, who merely sat there with a smile.

"I was only speaking the truth." He shrugged, "Letting a boy like this run around? Seems much crueler than the most savage tortures…"

Sending what Jack guessed was a glare at the man; the knight shook his helmet, "Well that's your insight into such matters, one that I've repeatedly told you to be silent about."

Earning nothing but a hollow chuckle from the man, the knight turned his attention back to Jack, "Bah, forget about him. I am Siegmeyer of Catarina! A pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

Eagerly offering a hand to Jack, the teen reluctantly accepted the gesture, "Nice to meet you, I'm Jack…"

Lifting the boy to his feet, Siegmeyer gave the boy a small pat on the back, "Jack? Interesting name you have there, but I've heard stranger! Hah Hah!"

"Right..." Jack mumbled, still confused about nearly everything.

Laughing still, Siegmeyer chuckled through his helmet,"Still, we were starting to wonder when you were going to awaken. You've been out for quite some time."

That caught Jack's attention, "How long have I been asleep?"

Siegmeyer tried to answer, but the chain-mail wearing man got there first, "Oh, a few days at least. A few of us even wondered if you had left us at points, but the lack of maggots disproved that theory now didn't it?"

The onion knight glared at the chuckling man while Jack just stood there, dumbstruck. It had been days already? How as that possible?! What happened to him? How as he knocked out for that long? And if hes been out for days, then how did he get here in the first place!?

"Easy, now." Siegmeyer tried to calm the boy, "Tis true, it has been a few days since one of my companions had discovered you. But fear not! I believe answers may arrive once he returns!"

"If he returns."

Huffing, the large knight tried to ignore the other man and instead focused on Jack once again, "Still, it is nice to see such a young face again, tis been awhile since any of us had seen someone such as yourself."

And like before, this once again made Jack feel a bit unnerved, "And why is that?"

Such a question made Siegmeyer's shoulders sag, allowing the other man to answer the boy once again, "One such as yourself don't seem to last that long here in Lordan, especially one so bare to the world."

Confused for a moment, Jack couldn't help but look down at himself. It was then that the boy noticed that he was wearing nothing but a grey long sleeve shirt and a pair jeans. When compared to the two men in front of him, Jack had to admit that he was a but under-dressed. (Although he could have sworn that he had been wearing something else earlier) Still, the man's words didn't help with the growing sense of dread that was building up in his chest.

However, at least Jack knew something fairly important; where he was.

"Lordan...so thats where I am?" he mumbled to himself. He had never heard of such a place before. It actually sounded like some fantasy name or something, hell all of this did at some level at least.

"Why yes," Siegmeyer nodded, "Land of the Ancient Lords, I take it that you...weren't aware of this?"

Jack sighed, sitting back down, "No, no I wasn't. The last thing I remember..."

The teen tried to think back to the last thing he had been doing, but all that came up was a thick fog in his mind. Why couldn't he remember? Did something smack him in the head too hard? Maybe this 'companion' that Siegmeyer was talking about accidentally dropped him on his head when he brought Jack to this place. It would certainly explain the headaches at least.

"Hm," the knight rubbed his chin, "Well, such a thing isn't that uncommon. Most who arrive at Lordan tend to have some problems here and there, although the mental ones are the most dangerous."

That didn't sound good, "Why is that?"

Siegmeyer looked visually surprised at that. How much was thing boy not aware of? Or had he simply forgotten such vital details?

"Plagues to the mind are normally one of the first signs that a undead is close to becoming hollow. Rejuvenated with humanity or not, feeling as if your mind is slowly slipping away is one of the deepest fears of the undead."

"Wait..." Jack stopped the night, "Did you say...undead?"

Had he been talking to Zombies this whole time!? Seriously? Miko would have a fit if she found out!

Siegmeyer on the other hand was starting to have doubts about this boy. Its one thing to not know that he was in Lordan. With all the mysterious ways that one could enter such lands, that wasn't impossible. But to be unaware of the undead and the Curse of the Dark Sign? Such a thing was impossible...wasn't it?

"My," the chain-mail man chuckled again, "This one has many questions, doesn't he?"

Ignoring the other man's chilling remarks, the knight of Catarina looked at Jack with a curious gaze (not that Jack could tell due to his helmet, "Tell me boy, are you aware of the ailment that most of the undead suffer from? The reason most come to Lodran in the first place?"

"No..." Jack replied, still a bit unsure about the whole undead thing. It didn't make sense, if these two were undead (at least thats what Jack thought was being implied) then how was the other man still human-looking? Where is the rotten flesh and moaning for brains? Was this something different then? But if it was, then why call them undead? It sounded very confusing for the boy.

"Truly?" Siegmeyer pondered that for a moment, "How could a undead not know about being as such..."

"Thats because he is not undead."

Jack, Siegmeyer, and the crestfallen warrior all turned to the being who said that. Eyes traveling upward, the three soon spotted a lone figure walking toward them after emerging from a old abandoned Church-like structure. That was another thing Jack noticed, everything around them seemed to be in disrepair and or just really old. It was discerning to be sure.

Back to the new arrival however, Jack noticed that like Siegmeyer and the man in chain-mail, the new arrival was also dressed in armor. However, this man's gear was much more manageable in comparison to the others. Not in pure chain-mail or heavy metal, the new figure's gear was actually a combination of leather, armor, and chain-mail, a much more varied combination to be sure.

With a almost stereotypical knight's helmet on his head, the new figure soon approached the group, making his way toward the nearby bonfire.

"Ah! My friend," Siegmeyer greeted the new knight, having momentarily forgotten about Jack for the time being, "How wonderful to see you again. How goes you journey?"

The new knight sighed, taking a seat next to the mound of flames. Placing his shield to the side, the Knight let out a groan, "Not well, Ano Londo is much more treacherous then I could have imagined." he muttered, "The guardians have proven to be quite the formidable foes..."

"Ah yes," Siegmeyer nodded, "Those knights...such treacherous creatures..."

"I was more referring to the two that guards the inner chamber," Looking up at the cloudy sky, the knight shook his head, "They bested me more times then I can count...tis why I have returned here, I am not prepared enough for them."

After getting crushed, stabbed and flattened by the guardians of Ano Londo, this undead simply needed to rest for a brief moment. He had thought Blight Town was unbearable, but those two juggernauts made even that deepest pile of waste seem like a godsend. Still, that was why he had returned, to rest up and re-equip himself.

"My friend, what did you mean by...'hes not undead'?"

Still, now that he has returned, he would have to deal with his little 'discovery', "Ah, yes...the boy."

Sighing, the knight turned to Jack, "It was more then a few days ago when I had discovered you in the Darkroot Basin..."

* * *

><p><em>Days earlier...<em>

_The Crystal Golems, the horrid creations that roam the dark woods of Darkroot Basin. They were giant creatures, made of pure crystals and had the destructive power to utterly obliterate any undead that they come across. Hunting in packs, the abominations had a unknown goal within the Darkroot basin, doing nothing much marching through the trees for seemed like days on end._

_Or at least that is what they were doing until the Chosen Undead had arrived._

_Making his way down a cliff-ridden path, the undead knight slowly marched toward a tree ridden environment called the Misty Woods. Spotting the trees from a distance, the undead had hoped to find a moment of peace after the living plants, the Ents had attacked him from above after leaving the Undead Parish. _

_ Nearing the trees however, the undead quickly found the massive Golems descending upon him, seeking to tear the knight apart._

_With sword and shield in hand, the Knight quickly fought against the massive constructs. Bones were shattered, blood was spilled, and the Golems eventually fell to the undead. Still, it was a hard fought battle and the Knight was forced to take at least a few shots from his Estus flask. Regenerated for the moment, the undead pushed onward toward the lake._

_Reaching the lake however, the undead quickly found a even greater threat toward his life._

_Sitting in the center of the lake was a massive, multi-headed creature known as a Hydra. _

_Low on Estus, the Undead was forced to take his time and be careful with his movements or else be defeated and returned to the last bonfire he had visited. However, even with this careful strategy, the undead found himself out of his most valuable resource just moments after the Hydra was slain._

_With no Bonfires that he could see, the undead was forced to make his way back toward the Undead Parish so he could resupply.  
><em>

_But, as he made his march back down the path that had brought him here, the Knight noticed something laying near a waterfall that fell onto the lake. With the Hydra dead and no other Crystal Golems around, Knight approached the figure.  
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_At first he suspected that it was another corpse, left there by the creatures he had just defeated. However, upon closer inspection the undead soon discovered that it was far more than just another corpse. Instead of finding a shriveled up body, the undead had found what looked like a boy...and he was alive! Such a thing was nearly unbelievable due to the creatures he had just encountered. _

_Why hadn't the Hydra eaten him or the Golems crushed him? Neither were known or on the undead's mind at the moment.  
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_Checking the boy, the undead found that the child was nearly wound-less besides a bruise on his head. Combine that with the unfamiliar clothes he was wearing, and the undead was quite curious about the boy._

_So, with his need to return to a bonfire still in his mind, the Undead gently lifted the boy up and placed him on his shoulders. Looking around to make sure that no threats were near, the undead knight slowly made his way back through the Misty Woods, hoping to return to the Undead Parish without any interruptions._

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><p>"And yet once I had returned to a bonfire and checked you for wounds, there was something...missing." the undead crossed his arms, finishing his tale.<p>

Jack and Siegmeyer (the other undead, the Crestfallen warrior had lost interest around halfway through the story) looked on as the Knight finished his tale. So, Jack had been found near at Darkroot Basin near a Hydra and Crystal Golems (both creatures were something Jack was a bit skeptical about, but he let that slide. He did know about the Autobots after all), miraculously unharmed besides a bump on his head.

"Missing?" Siegmeyer asked, giving Jack a sideways glance, "What could he be missing?"

Instead of simply answering the question, the Knight looked to Jack and stared at him intently. Reaching down, the Knight then removed one of his gloves and showed his hand to a group, the back of which had a strange mark on it.

"You don't have the Darksign." he explained, "Nothing, no wounds, no scars...and no mark. You're not undead son, you're completely human."

Siegmeyer and even the other undead quickly grew silent at that revelation while Jack was confused. So he didn't have this 'Darksign', what about it? What was so important about not have some weird mark on his hand?

"The Darksign binds the dead, it holds us to our curse..." the Knight sneered.

"So then boy, if you will, please explain to me how a living, breathing human of your age..." the knight's sword slowly slid from his sheath, "Has found himself in Lordan?"

After so long of nothing but death, the undead, and various other creatures, it was nearly impossible for the Undead Knight to not take this without some doubt in his mind. Children and youth like this lad could not survive in a place like Lordan, especially without armor and a weapon. So how could this be?

Could this boy be a mimic? No, why would he remain as he is for so long then? And when could a mimic take the form of a human? They always appeared as treasure chests in order to fool a desperate undead. Was he a demon? Still, the same problem presents itself...why wait so long?

"So? What say you?" the Knight growled at Jack, his patience very limited.

Jack however didn't know what to say. He didn't even know half of what was going on, let alone what this 'Darksign' was, "I don't...I really don't know-"

Grabbing the young boy's leg, the Knight forcefully knocked Jack off his feet and forced his blade against the teen's neck, "Do NOT lie to me. You may not be undead but that doesn't mean that you're fate will be any better then the rest of us!"

Feeling the blade's cold edge against his flesh, Jack instinctively gulped,"I really don't know! I swear!"

"And how do I know that thou aren't lying?!" The Knight pressed his blade forward, drawing a bit of Jack's blood.

Jack had to think, what did he remember? There had to be something, anything that would save him from having a new hole in his neck. But what? Thinking hard, the boy tried to dig into his mind, to find something that could give him a clue as to why he was here. Of course though, he quickly came across that accused fog wall that haunted in his mind. But that wouldn't stop him, not this time!

Pushing through, Jack searched for something...there had to be a reason why he was-

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><p><strong><em>Darkness. Endless Darkness surrounded the boy...echos of voices of the past haunted him, echoing through his mind...<em>**

_"Are you sure I'm worthy?"_

_"This time, hes coming with us!"_

_"Boy! You will Suffer for that!"_

_"NO!"_

**_A pulling sensation filled his body, as if he was being pulled somewhere else. And then, there was a light...just before it was snuffed out by a darkness, one thicker than any shadow he had ever seen._**

_ "...swallowed by the Abyss, overcome by its utter blackness... Indeed, the Abyss may be unstoppable..."_

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><p>Gasping fro breath, Jack emerged from his mind in a frantic state. He had no idea what he had just saw. The voices were familiar, all but the last one at least. And that feeling he had, was that part of the reason why he was here? It was like something had take a hold of him and dragged him somewhere. But what did that last voice mean?<p>

"Well!?" the familiar pressure of a sword against his neck quickly reminded Jack of the position he was in. There was still a Knight about to cut his neck open if he didn't tell him anything of important or relevance.

"The last thing I remember is a bright light, a pulling sensation, and then darkness, thats all!" Jack quickly told the knight. It was all that he had at this point, Jack still had no idea where he truly was or what was going on. He was literally taking a leap into the dark.

But what if he was wrong and the knight didn't take the bait? Jack couldn't help but imagine the sight of the metal blade slowly slice into his neck and spilling all of his life blood. It was a terrifying aspect to be sure, especially since it was so close at the moment. Still, it was the one chance he had to escape such a fate, so he had to take it.

Clutching his eyes shut, Jack waited to see if the knight would believe him...and when there wasn't a sudden pain in his neck, then Jack knew that something was up.

"...a pulling sensation?" Slowly opening his eyes, Jack looked up at the Knight. His sword was still pressed against the boy's neck...but thats all.

Swallowing his breath, Jack nodded, "Yeah, it was like someone grabbed me from behind and tossed me somewhere..."

"Did it feel as if you're soul, your very essence was being moved? Taken to another place entirely?" The Knight eagerly asked.

Sweat dripped down Jack's head as he thought about it, "A bit, it did actually...only it didn't stop there. It felt like something..." A dark sensation crawled up Jack's spine, "...something stabbed into me, everything I am and dragged me away."

Not moving for a moment, the Knight eventually sat upward. Sheathing his sword, the night seemed to consider Jack's excuse for a moment or two. That description sounded familiar, like he had been summoned or something. But then, something was extremely wrong then. A summoning only draws the spirit from a summon sign, not an actual person.

"Do...you have any experience with summon signs boy?"

With a eyebrow raised at that question, Jack shook his head, "Sorry, I'm not following anything you're talking about."

Which also perfectly described Jack's feelings towards nearly everything else these men had talked about since he had woken up.

"Perfect," the Knight cursed, sitting back down near the bonfire. If this boy didn't know about summon signs, then there was no way that he could have put his own down, and if that wasn't the case then how could he have been summoned anywhere?

"Whats wrong?" Getting to his feet, Jack noticed that the hostile environment had nearly vanished at this point. Instead, it had been replaced by one of confusion and frustration, which perfectly described how Jack was feeling too. Being dropped into a unfamiliar setting could do that to someone.

The Knight sighed, kicking a small rock. This was all starting to make his head hurt, "Well, I'm starting to believe your tale...but currently it only leads to yet more questions. Questions that I'm sure neither of us have the answers to."

Okay, Jack could understand what was wrong now. Strange, unexplained randomness messing about him their lives that didn't seem possible in the slightest? Sounded fairly standard to Jack, "Isn't that always the case in situations like this?"

Chuckling, the Knight nodded, "You have that right boy..."

With all the crap that had been going on, Jack took a seat next to the knight and extended his hand to him, "Well, since you're not trying to kill me for the moment, how about we start over again? My names Jack, whats yours?"

A moment or two passed before the Knight actually spoke, "Javed," he muttered, taking Jack's hand, "It has been some time since the last one who asked me for my name. Recently I have only been referred to as 'Chosen Undead', so hearing my own name again sounds...nice."

Shaking the man's hand for a moment, Jack smiled, "My pleasure Javed."

With a bit of a comforting silence (Something very rare in Lordan) erupting between the two, Jack couldn't help but smile. In less then an moment he had learned the name of the man who nearly slit his throat. And surprisingly, this wasn't that odd for the young boy either.

Still, this silence was soon shattered by-

"Splendid!" Reaching over to the two, Siegmeyer nearly got them both into a bone crushing hug. Luckily though Javed's armor made it so that Jack could escape the pain, even if the 'Chosen' Undead had to bear it alone, "I was truly worried that you might have ended the young one's life! And a short one it would have been!"

A snap or two could be heard as the massive knight hugged Javed, earning a look of pity from Jack, "Are all of your friends like this?"

The Knight shrugged despite the hold he was in, "I don't have many so, yes actually."

Siegmeyer was only one of the very few allies that the Undead really had left. The others he could count were the blacksmiths around Lordan, the sorcerers such as Big Hat Logan and Griggs of Vinheim, the Merchants, and even some of the other peaceful individuals that lived throughout the ruined land. However, there were only so few of them left that were like Siegmeyer. Indeed, the only one he could actually think of was Sol-

Wait, that...might be an actually idea! Perhaps he could help the young boy or at least give them some answers! Removing himself from Siegmeyer, the Chosen Undead quickly picked Jack up and nearly dragged him away from the Bonfire, "Come with me."

Jack was just getting more and more confused about all of this, "Um, why?"

"We need to head to the Undead Burg..." Javed grabbed his shield and started to make his way back toward the ruined church with Jack closely following him.

"And why do you think we need to head there?" he asked, still confused. They had finally gotten settled for the moment and now this guy wanted to drag him somewhere? What could this be all about?

The Knight chuckled under his helmet, "Because, one of my friends should be there. He is the one who first told me about the Summon Signs and might know something about what happened to you!"

"Really!?" Jack's mood instantly improved at that idea, "Who is he?"

Marching his way up a stoney path, the Undead let out a small laugh. He was the man that the undead had discovered shortly after killing the Taurus Demon while in the Undead Burg. The massive demon and its hammer had beaten down the undead a few times before he had defeated it, but the victory was well worth it, for at the end of the path after the monster was a man. A man that had helped the Chosen Undead out more times then he could count...

"His name is Solaire of Astora."

* * *

><p><em>So, Chapter 2. We get some back-story and met some important characters (and anyone wondering, this proves that I'm not making Jack into the Chosen Undead, so sorry if that disappoints you). Anyway, next time we get some more action and learn some more about Jack's mysterious arrival in Lordan. <em>

_Chosen Undead, Laved is wearing the Elite Night Armor for those who are wondering. I'll cover his weapon and shield in the next chapter._

_Personal Headcanon: Siegmeyer wouldn't like the Crestfallen Warrior all that much due to his downer attitude messing with Siegmeyer's cheerful adventurous attitude._ _They are nearly the opposite in attitudes, so they wouldn't get along that much._

_So, actually NPCs actually interacting...how did you think it was? We never actually get to see them interact outside the Chosen Undead._

_RxR please, I want to hear you're opinions!_


	3. Armor & Weapons

_Armor & Weapons_

* * *

><p>Giving Siegmeyer a small farewell, the duo quickly made their way toward the nearby Church. With the best chance of finding someone that could help Jack being up in the Undead Berg, the two had to make haste. Demons and Undead were surely waiting for them above, so Jack and the Chosen Undead Javed had little time to waste. However, there was one thing that had to be done before they ascended to the town above.<p>

"But first, we must stop for just a moment."

As if on cue, the duo quickly came to a halt inside the large church. It was made of stone and in a state of disrepair like everything else, but at least it had a roof to it. Grass was growing everywhere and there was even a bit of mold growing on the walls. Still, that didn't stop Jack from noticing a staircase off to the side.

That was ignored for the moment however, as Javed took this chance to fully examine Jack's attire…and he wasn't impressed in the slightest.

"You can't march the lands if Lordan in such…" Javed muttered in disgust, "…cloth."

Stopping for a moment, Jack looked down at himself, "Whats wrong with what I have on?"

He wasn't trying to be rude or anything, but the Undead sighed at the boy anyway, "It leaves you practically defenseless, that's 'what's wrong' with it."

"I don't understand-"

"Arrows will go right through you, swords will leave nothing left, spears will skewer you, and axes will leave you in pieces." He continued, "Such a material is unfit for anywhere in this vile land, as it would mean your instant death.

And prove his point, the Knight poked Jack through a small hole he had in his shirt. If Jack's clothes couldn't protect him from one undead's finger, then the monsters they would be facing would tear this young boy apart. This was something the Undead was sure of; after all…Ano Londo hadn't been the first time he had died. Not even close.

"And since death will not end you back at a Bonfire…" he gave Jack another poke, "Something must be done about it."

With a sigh, Jack pushed the undead's hand away, "Okay, I get it. But what did you have in mind then?"

Letting his arm drop, the Undead motioned Jack over to the far end of the Church's main chamber. It had nothing but a few giant pots filling up space, but when Javed moved one or two he revealed a strange looking chest.

"It's a box."

Jack wasn't too impressed.

Javed nodded, "Aye, tis a box, but tis a box that will be your salvation for the moment."

"A box is going to save me?"

Letting loose a small mutter, the undead ignored the team and opened the small crate. Rummaging around in it, Javed began to grumble something as he searched for what he needed. Jack couldn't really understand what the man was saying but he was more confused about how much difficulty he was having. The bot was tiny, how could he not find what he was looking for in second or two?

Still, this…somehow…went on for a minute or two before the Knight let loose a small laugh of success, "Ah ha! Found it!"

"Great," Jack mumbled, "What is it? A hat or some-

And then, the Knight pulled out a torso of armor, and then a pair of pants, gloves, and boots. All out of that tiny chest.

"-thing." Jack was a bit take back by this, something Javed noticed rather quickly.

"Tis a 'bottomless' box of sorts." He explained, now pulling out a sword and shield this time, "One I had discovered while in the Undead Berg. It has proven to be quite useful in holding anything I may acquire during my travels.

Jack nodded at that but couldn't help but stare at…how strange this was.

That was quickly dealt with however when the knight handed the boy everything he had taken from the box, "But that is irrelevant. What is important is for you to put these on and get accustomed to them."

Taking a suit of armor, a sword and sheild, Jack gave the material a good look over. It looked like it was made of leather, something much lighter than the metal plating Javed and the others were wearing. The shield was also made of leather while the blade was a average looking shortsword. The armor also seemed to be his size luckily, but Jack was unsure.

"And you're just going to give me this?" He was a perfect stranger, so why give an entire suit of armor to him of all people?

Javed gave the boy a shrug before putting the 'bottomless box' back where he had found it, "Tis a suit I found while in Blight Town, one not of my style. I shall not miss it nor those weapons, so they will do for now."

The Chosen Undead had plenty of gear lying around in that chest, and he saw little appeal in the leather armor. It might have granted less protection then his current armor, but it was surprisingly light and hopefully something Jack himself could wear. He didn't want to burden the boy with armor that he couldn't even wear, but this was the best chance he had for the boy's sake.

_'Great.'_ Jack thought to himself. He hadn't pictured himself getting dressed up as a knight since he was a few years old...for Halloween. Seems to fit considering the general feel of this place though.

"Now, I suggest you get dressed, time is of the essence."

That didn't sound too good in Jack's opinion, "Why is that? Is it going to get dark or something?"

"No," Javed denied, "I am unsure how long my friend will be in the Undead Berg. He travels many places in the same tune as Siegmeyer. So we must make haste and find him now, or else I fear that we won't be able to get what we need from him."

That didn't sound good to Jack, "And you don't think you'll be able to find him again?"

This was also something Javed denied, "No, not at all. Solaire is normally the one who finds me during my travels. No matter where I go, he somehow is there before I even arrive. However, you will likely never meet him if we dally too much."

"Why do you think that? Maybe I could find him later if we miss him now." Jack wouldn't stop if they simply missed the man at Undead Burg. If he truly could help find Jack a way home, then he would gladly hunt the man down no matter where he went!

"You will not survive the trials outside of Firelink Shrine," his tone held no exaggerations in these words, "It tis only with my accompany of you that gives hope towards your survival."

Jacks heart sank at those words.

"The realm outside this little shrine," Javed gestured at the land around him, "It's all filled with monsters and creatures that will devour you whole, soul and all. The Undead at not the only creatures to fear in this world, Nay, I believed they are the least of your worries."

The undead could be dangerous to be sure, but with the demons and monsters that roam the land, Jack would be someone or something's dinner in a matter of no time at all.

"But enough of that," the undead cut in, "Hurry and get dressed, we must depart quickly and not waste time in mere chit-chat."

Nodding, Jack quickly got to work on suiting up. Leaving his shirt on, the boy did his best to put on the set of armor. The leather was a bit too big for him, but it worked rather well. It did make Jack feel a bit heavier too but that was just something he would have to get used to. Upon putting the leather pants on however, Jack noticed something.

Reaching into his back pockets, the young boy realized that he had something with him this whole time. Wasting none, Jack quickly reached into his pocket and pulled whatever he had out. Instead of a cellphone like he had expected, Jack couldn't help but stare at the device he had found. It was thin and was only about the size of his hand. It also appeared to be made out of a metal of some kind and had blue circuits of light running throughout it.

Just holding the device made memories shift in the back of his mind, but the fog continued to obscure all of them.

"Whats that?" Javed asked, having noticed the boy staring at the strange device.

* * *

><p><em>"...I feel that you have earned the responsibility of safe guarding this important device...until I return."<em>

* * *

><p>"Its…" Jack muttered, "…I think it's a gift, something a friend of mine gave me to watch until he comes back for it."<p>

Watching on as Jack stared at the device, the Undead let out a sigh, "Then keep it close," Eyes widening, Jack turned to the Undead, "Such things are precious to us, they help keep out minds on our goals...and our humanity."

The undead sighed, his hand moving toward a little trinket he had around his neck, "While one can't stop us from becoming Hollow, memories of such things we hold precious can remind the Undead of who we once were and who we cared about. A sort of...light in the darkness."

When the darkness starts to consume the mind of an undead, focusing on a single thing can help strive off the madness for a time. Who you were, what you did, people you knew, or even something as simple as counting to ten. Whatever the case is, as long as someone has something they can focus on, turning Hollow is just a nightmare waiting to happen.

"Its...all we can do..." he muttered, holding onto the necklace around his neck, "...to stave off the dark."

Eyes softening just a tad, Jack quickly put the device into another pocket and continued to get dressed. However, the device he had found wasn't the only thing the boy had on his person. Reaching into another pocket, Jack uncovered something else...and something very different.

It was a dark, almost flame-like construct. It moved in his hand like a fire would in the wind, but it remained still while in Jack's palm. Unlike a fire though, this flame looked more black and purple then any fire Jack had ever seen. And just looking at this thing made Jack shutter. It was like something was wrong with it, like it wanted to be a flame to warm some up but it was...damaged.

Finally taking his attention away from his necklace, Javed looked to Jack to see if he was done getting dressed. What he saw however, made the Knight's body run cold.

"How..." he muttered, "How do you have that?!"

Confused, Jack turned his attention away from the flame and back to the Undead, "Do you know what this is? Because I seriously do-"

Any words Jack was about to speak were quickly forgotten however. Within a moments notice Javed had for some reason, marched over to Jack and grabbed him by the neck, slamming him into a wall with a forceful crack. The boy was instantly confused by this, but didn't bother to question it once he felt the familiar feeling of steel against his stomach.

"I know that soul..." he muttered, Jack's eyes widening as a result. The little thing he was holding is a...soul?

"When I found you there...at Darkroot Basin..." Javed's eyes were frantic, trying to figure out what was truly happening, "You had only those pitiful clothes on and some scraps of something else, so how..."

The Undead's voice cracked, his grip on his sword tightening.

"How do you have the soul of **_Artorias!_**"

The hold on Jack's neck was tightening, making it hard for him to breath. But the Undead did not care all that much. This boy had somehow come into the possession of a soul that shouldn't even exist anymore! It was impossible! He was sure of it! Javed had been there and seen such a thing personally!

Jack chocked out a small, 'I...d-don't know..." But other then that he couldn't say much, it felt as if his throat was being crushed. Which it was actually. The Undead was nearly at hysterics at this point.

"You WILL tell me!" It might be the memories from the time he had journeyed to that accursed place, but he would not forget. Every horrific thing he had witnessed was all there in that soul. So how did this boy have it?

His vision turning dark, Jack couldn't help but drop the soul in question. How could he hold onto it? The strength of a teenage boy was no match to a undead with a severe case of anger issues. Still, with the sight of the blackened soul floating between the two, Jack felt the strangle hold on his neck loosen until it completely vanished. Falling back to the ground, Jack coughed and wheezed a bit before staring up at the undead.

"I...do-don't know..." Jack tried to speak despite his broken voice, "It was just in my pocket...I don't know where it...came from."

Standing above the boy, the Chosen Undead glared down at that boy. It was the same excuse he had given Javed concerning how he got to Lordan. Could he seriously buy the same excuse two times in a row? Still, how else could he explain it? This was just too strange, even for the Chosen Undead's standards.

Letting the stress leave his shoulders, the Undead turned his back on Jack and started to make his way toward the staircase, "We're leaving."

Still coughing a bit, Jack slowly got to his feet, "B-but what about the-"

"Do with it as you please," Javed sneered before turning a toward the stairs, "I have terrible memories concerning that 'thing'...I do not wish to see it again."

Disappearing behind the stone wall, Jack turned his attention back toward this...soul.

Reaching down and taking hold of it, he had to wonder. Was this really a soul? Could something so small be something so important? Why was it black then and who was this 'Artorias' person that Javed mentioned? All of these things made Jack's head spin even more. This place, these people, this situation. Jack had only one way of describing it all.

"This place is insane." he muttered before pocketing the 'soul'. Despite its dark appearance, the soul had a warm feeling in his hands. It was like a conflicted thing, both and warm, light and dark. So what was the history of this thing? And how and the hell did he get it in the first place?

Still, Jack didn't have time to consider such things. Putting the last of the armor in place and pocketing the 'soul' (he still couldn't imagine this thing being a actual soul), Jack quickly ran after the undead. Turning the corner and running up the stairs, Jack was a bit relieved to see Javed leaning against a far wall near two passage in the wall.

"Indeed, those garments will do," the Undead nodded, "But, do you even know how to use those tools?"

He was referring to the sword and shield he had handed Jack along with the armor, "Not particularly," Using a crowbar to kill some Scraplets didn't seem like a good reference point for how to use a sword and shield.

"I should have known," The Undead shook his head, "Then you need me even more then I had thought."

"Thanks..."

Motioning the boy towards the entrance, Jack and the Knight came to a stop at a set of two elevators. They were ancient looking, one of them was missing its platform, and one of them were barred behind a metal fence, "This will take us up to the Undead Parish, we will make our way to my alley from there and hopefully have less creatures to deal with while in route."

Looking unsure at the aged device, Jack sighed, "Any idea what we might find on our way there?"

Walking onto the elevator, Javed sighed, "Hopefully if things go well, then nothing but a few undead and rodents."

"And if they don't?"

With Jack following after the Undead, Javed looked up at the tunnel above their heads, "Then I advice you boy. Keep your head down and prepare your shield. It will last but a few seconds against the fire above us."

"Fire?" Jack REALLY didn't like how he said that.

"Just, trust me boy." Pressing on a plate at the center of the platform, the lift soon started to rise up the massive tunnel. The sight of Firelink Shrine soon started to vanish from view as the duo ascended up into another portion of Lordan, the place the Chosen Undead had described as the Undead Parish.

The lift soon began to slow down after that, the duo arriving in just a few moments. Much to Jack's surprise (or lack there of), the two individuals had arrived in yet another church, one that seemed to be in much better condition then the previous one. It still had a roof (and a sturdy one mind you), the walls were in better shape, and there were even a few statues left from what Jack could tell.

Still, being in another church made Jack shake his head, "Man, you guys like churches don't you?"

"When your world is cursed to such a degree...the only real salvation one could find is in the gods, even if they answer or not." The Chosen Undead muttered, his entire body on guard. They were in dangerous territory now, and had to be on guard.

With their steps echoing through the church, Jack walked toward the structure's front entrance. It was the most obvious exit of course. But before he even made it past the first row of wooden seats, the Chosen Undead grabbed the boy by the arm and pulled him back, not making as much noise as possible.

"Wait but a moment," Javed shushed the young boy, "Look..."

Pointing over toward the entrance itself, Jack then noticed three figures standing guard over the entrance. They were tall individuals, a few feet taller then both Jack and the Chosen Undead. Clothed in a tattered red cape and shattered armor, the three looked to be rotting corpses from what Jack could see. Even their faces were decayed to a point where they looked more like skulls than a human's face. Wielding a large shield and sword, the three corpses watched the entrance intently, waiting to see if anyone would dare enter their domain.

"Now you see, these are what we speak of when we mention hollows..." he spoke as Jack stared at the creatures, "They are undead who have lost their minds, their bodies decaying with their humanity into nothing but husks of their former selves."

Such a thing made Jack sick. Going insane was one thing, but to become creatures such as this? It wasn't right, "Can't there be something done for them?"

But the Undead merely shook his head.

"Death breaks us. It is a constant suffering that makes the mind burn. We lose hope and with it, ourselves are lost to the madness..." The Undead lead Jack away from the hollows, instead focusing on a side entrance.

"As long as we are marked with the Darksign, there is no escape."

Reaching such a entrance however, Jack and the Undead soon discovered that this exit wasn't safe as well, with even more undead sulking outside as they were inside. Even worse, these undead quickly noticed the duo as they exited the church.

"Scrap..." Jack muttered as one of the undead aimed a crossbow at his head.

"Move!"

Diving out of the way as a crossbow bolt nearly took out of his eye, Jack rolled to the side as The Chosen Undead engaged two other Hollows in close combat. This however left Jack alone with the third, the Undead wielding the crossbow. Lifting his shield up in defense, Jack was nearly knocked off his feet as another bolt lodged itself into the leather shield.

Just barley holding his ground, Jack quickly seized and opportunity as the Undead archer reloaded his crossbow. Charging at the Hollow with his shield, the boy rammed into the undead and easily knocked it down due to its weakened body. This was not the end of the struggle however. Even knocked to the ground and without its weapon, the undead tried to fight back. Reaching for a sword on what remained of its belt, the undead started to rise.

Noticing this, Jack reluctantly took his shield with both hands and with a deep frown on his face, started to beat the hollow into the ground. Blow after blow, crack after crack, the boy did not stop until the creature released the hold it had on its sword. And by the time that actually happened, the boy's shield was drenched in blood.

Hands stained with blood, Jack dropped his shield with a gasp and looked at the hollow. It was still alive...somehow. Its head was neatly caved inward, its helmet having fallen off after Jack knocked the hollow to the ground. Even with that though, the creature still lived. A free hand still reaching for his sword, Jack sighed at the pitiful creature, wondering what he should do.

_**-Slick!-**_

Such a decision was out of his hands however when a sword quickly sliced the head off the cursed undead. Turning the bloodied body into nothing but ash, thus returning the hollow back to a bonfire, Javed sheathed his sword.

"Next time, just run him through," the Chosen Undead reminded the boy, "I can understand your reasoning, but undead such as him...living in such a state is only more suffering. A quick death is all they could ask for."

At the moment however, Jack was still a bit focused on the blood on his shield...and his hands. Shaking just a bit, the boy let loose a small sigh. He had never done something like this before and...he had no idea how to react to it.

"I'm...sorry." he muttered, the blood staining his sight.

Letting the boy have a moment to himself, the undead eventually offered to help him up, "Come then, we must continue. More hollows shall arrive soon." With a bonfire nearby, it was only a matter of time before the recently slain returned. The two had to be on their way before such a thing could happen.

Taking a deep breath, Jack eventually took the Chosen Undead's hand and stood up, his sword and shield in his hands. Now was not the time to be freaking out about such a thing. These things...were people at some point, but not anymore. They were shells of their former selves, nothing more...nothing less.

Jack knew that these stains wouldn't leave him...but could he seriously just sit there and mop about it? No, he had to push onward...this was something he would have to deal with later, even if he didn't want to.

"Right," Jack nodded, "Lets get going."

That brought a small smile to the Undead's face, "Good to hear."

Patting the boy on the shoulder, the Chosen Undead and the young human quickly departed. Leaving the recently (And temporary) dead behind them, the two still had somewhere to be. With the creatures in front of them, Jack and Javed could only hope that they could make it there in one piece.

However, doing so would prove to be much more difficult then they originally believed.

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 3, done! Was once again a set up chapter, but ends with some action. Jack might not be used to the violence of Lordan, but its something he might have to get used to from here on in. Still, I went a bit easy on him for now...that will end soon enough though.<em>

_About the Chosen Undread's reaction to see Artorias' soul, I have a explanation of that. After seeing everything in Oolacile (And I mean EVERYTHING), I don't think anyone would want to see something that could bring such memories back up to the surface again._

_And why does Jack have that Soul? And why is his recent memories a bit messed up? Well, we shall see._

_Hell truely begins next chapter! So RxR everyone! I look forward to your opinions!  
><em>


	4. Undead Parish & the Oncoming Fire

_RxR please! I would like to see your comments!_

* * *

><p><em>Undead Parish &amp; the Oncoming Fire.<em>

* * *

><p>Slow, precise, and careful steps had to be taken.<p>

After fighting the three undead Jack and Javed, the Chosen Undead, had to be careful during their journey. The Undead Parish was quite dangerous, especially so for someone like Jack. Having very little to no combat experience, the undead that roamed the Parish were pratcially roaring for his death the moment they saw him.

Hell, Jack was sure that he wouldn't even have gotten three feet outside the lift before something happening to him if it wasn't for Javed accompanying him.

The Undead had experience with not only fighting his fellow undead, but Jack could tell that this wasn't the first time to the Undead Parish. With knowledge of where the undead would be and where to go, it would have been a mess if Jack had tried to find his way to this 'Solaire' character by himself. Not only would the Undead have torn him apart, but he would have gotten lost more often than Bulkhead breaks a piece of Ratchet's equipment.

Bulkhead...Ratchet...

The Autobots...Miko, Raf...and his mother. Thoughts of them sprang back into Jack's mind, what had truly happened to bring him to this place? What had happened to them? His recent memories were the most clouded of them all, but Jack could feel as if something terrible had happened and that might have been the cause of this arrival on Lordan.

Did something dangerous happen that caused him to be sent here? Were they okay? Did they know that he was gone? Were they concerned for him, wondering what happened to him? Did they miss him? Did they even car-

"Boy! Focus!"

Such thoughts were pushed aside however.

Quickly lifting his shield, Jack's arm suddenly felt as if someone had stepped snapped it in two as he blocked a slash from one of the Hollows. Pushing the undead away, Jack clumsily swung his own sword, striking the Undead's breastplate and forcing the creature back. The force of his blow wasn't that strong but it did give Jack a chance to kick the undead in the chest...and send it right into a burning body with a giant axe thrust in its back.

If Jack didn't feel like he was going to be sick before, he surely did now...

"Be sick when there are less Hollows tiring to gut you!" Javed yelled, decapitating another Undead solder before a arrow nailed him in the shoulder, "Bloody Archers!"

While making their way through the Undead Parish, the duo had unfortunately ran into some more Hollows. And while battling the ones on the ground weren't so bad, the two undead bowmen were getting on the nerves of the Chosen Undead. They were up above them and had a clear view of the entire area, they were in a prime position for cross-bowing.

So much so that the Chosen Undead was very tempted to run up to Archers and show them the business end of his sword. Unfortunately though, doing so would have left Jack vulnerable to their attacks for the brief moments it would take him to reach them, meaning that he would have to bear with it...for the moment.

Ripping the arrow from his shoulder, the Chosen Undead cut down another hollow before leading Jack away from the Church and as a result, the archers. Getting out of their range was easy, but now there was another problem.

A giant metal gate blocking their path.

"Great," Jack muttered, "I don't suppose there's a switch nearby, is there?"

Kicking the last remaining hollow down the path, the Chosen Undead sighed, "There is actually...on the other side of the gate."

"Figures."

Javed nodded, he had felt the same way when he had first come through the Undead Parish, "Indeed, but there is another route."

Off to the side there was a small opening, one that had two branching pathways. One that lead up into a tower and another that lead downward into some sort of lower chamber. Leading to the lower chamber was just a latter however, earning a bit of uncertainty from the young teen.

"We shall head downward, it leads to alternate pathway, one that will lead us to our destination."

A bit unsure about this, Jack looked at the barred gate and then back to the ladder. The latter of the choices wasn't as appealing since there he had no idea what was down there, but what other choice did he have? Its not like he had the strength to rip the gate apart or had an Autobot to tear the gate apart. There was no way through, so they had to go around.

"Right," Making his way over toward the ladder, Jack started to descend down it, one foot at a time. But before he could get a third of the way down, he suddenly found himself being yanked upward by the back of his shirt/armor, "What?!"

Looking up at the Undead, Jack saw Javed give him a knowing look, "I shall go first, you have no idea what is down there."

And considering that he was right...

"Alright..." Jack gestured toward the ladder, "After you."

Nodding, the Chosen Undead dropped Jack back on his feet before descending down the ladder himself, with Jack following closely behind. Arriving in the some kind of lower chamber after a few moments of climbing, Jack would soon come face to face with another creature of Lordan, one that wasn't undead.

Rats. Giant, disgusting, and infested rats. Maggot infested skin, decaying flesh, disgusting breath...and that smell.

Good thing that Jack didn't have a weak stomach...

"Don't let them get close..." Javed warned, drawing his sword, "They are quite infectious, a bite or two and you'll be bleeding out of your eyes in a day or two."

A wince followed as Jack positioned his shield between him and the rodents. If there was one thing he didn't want to deal with while he was here, it was being sick. Especially in a place like this, where everything looked like it was made of stone or wood. Jack severely doubted the chance of Lordan having a modern hospital anywhere nearby. It was...unlikely.

So, when the rats noticed the duo and scampered right toward them, Jack to his credit actually went to work fairly quickly. Due to the rats being clearly different from the undead, Jack had less resistance to the idea of using the sword Javed gave him. With these things never having been human, Jack didn't feel nearly as guilty when he shoved the blade into one of the rat's heads, causing the rodent to drop dead on the spot.

Removing the bloodied blade from the rat's skull, Jack sighed as his ally took care of the rest of the Vermin. Leaving three rotting corpses in the room, Javed said nothing as he lead Jack over to the only other exit to the room besides the way that came.

Seeing light, Jack nearly ran toward the doorway...

...until he noticed how far a drop it was outside.

"Whoa..."

Just outside the door was a small ledge, one that was overlooking a fairly large city and positioned next to a large bridge. Ignoring the bridge for a moment, Jack had to admit that while it wasn't as large as Jasper, he could easily tell that the city went on for quite a distance. That was especially true if the massive walls that surrounded the entire city, assuring to its gigantic size. And while the city was just as old fashioned as the rest of the places Jack had seen, it was all still quite impressive.

The teen just wished that he hadn't looked down though.

"Watch your step," The Chosen Undead warned, pushing the boy back just a bit, "Falling from such a height is no pleasant experience, I can assure you."

Taking another look at the giant drop, Jack couldn't help but agree, "Yeah, a big fall and a splat doesn't sound nice at all."

"It feels even worse," Turning to the left, the Chosen Undead slowly lead Jack along the small ledge toward openings in its under-section. On the way however, the two came across two more Undead Knights. Luckily though, they were able to make use of where they were at by kicking the Undead off the bridge and to their doom.

It was a messy solution, but it proved effective.

As they made their way through the bridge however, Jack noticed some strange looks Javed was making. It was like he was looking for something, his gaze constantly looking off to either side of the bridge above. The actions weren't quite that odd but they did make Jack wonder what he was looking at. Was it birds or something? Or were there some Archers trying to pick them off at a distance?

Whatever the case might have been, Jack soon felt himself forgetting about such questions as the two entered one of the support beams for the bridge. Quickly entering a nearly empty room, Jack released the breath he was unknowingly holding. He might not have a fear of heights, but fighting insane knights at such a height was...unpleasant.

"Please tell me that we're done with heights..." Jack asked, keeping a safe distance between him and the door they just entered from.

Luckily for him, the Chosen Undead nodded, "Aye, we are very close now. Just one more step and we shall be there."

Eyes widening, Jack looked toward the undead in surprise, "Really?! We're that close?"

With a quick nod, Javed then pointed toward the old looking staircase that laid just a few feet from the two, "Just up those stair will lead to the path, eventually leading us to Solaire. He will hopefully have some information on your predicament."

"What does he know exactly?" Jack had been curious about this ever since Javed mention this 'Solaire' character, but hadn't had a chance to ask until now. Fighting Undead like they had been was quite the distraction.

"Solaire was the first to introduce me to the concept of summon signs," The Chosen Undead explained, "In Lordan, there is a powerful practice that allows one to summon the spirits of others to their world in order to assist them in combat."

Summoning someone from another world to help you out? Sounds handy.

"And from what you told me, it sounds like something similar happened to yourself...only with all of you getting dragged here instead.", considering Jack's luck, that seemed almost expected.

That was something to be discussed later though, the two still had to get to Javed's friend after all.

Approaching the stairs, Javed quickly ordered Jack to remain just at the top of the stairs while he handled everything above them. For some reason, this gave Jack a terrible feeling in the back of his spine, but what other chose did he have? Its not like he was some great fighter...hell, he was lucky that he had gotten this far in the first place!

Still, all Jack could really do was wait for his 'friend' came to let him know when it was safe. Could Jack really consider this man a friend, seriously? He had just met the teen and yet he was helping him out like this. He seemed nice enough despite being a bit rough on the edges, and in a world like this such a thing was almost expected. The constant danger that filled this land, it was quite fitting for someone like him, especially considering all the Hollows they had faced so far.

Still, with the sounds of metal colliding with each other, maybe it was a good thing that Jack hadn't gone up there. He likely would have just gotten in the way. He might have been able to hold off a Hollow or two, but Jack was no fighter. Not in the same league as the Chosen Undead at least.

These thoughts didn't last long however and were soon replaced by the sound of footsteps against stone.

Rushing back towards the stairs, the Chosen Undead quickly called to Jack, "Come, now! We must move before it-"

**_-FOOSH!-_**

A roaring blast of heat knocked the teen backwards, sending him flying down the stairs. Colliding headfirst into the ground, Jack cursed as he rubbed the back of his head. What in the hell was that? Was it some Undead or something? Why hadn't Javed warned him about tha-

"Javed!" Jack screamed, the man was still up there!

Feet pounding against the stairs, Jack quickly made his way back towards where his friend should have been. Reaching the top of the staircase however, Jack nearly dropped to his feet right then and there at what he saw.

The bridge was scorched, the stone pathway still smoking due to whatever had flown across it. Corpses were scattered among the rocky surface, all of them roasted to a point where it was nearly impossible to tell who was who. And that unfortunately included Javed as well, the poor man having been taken off guard due to having been talking to Jack at the time. He had momentarily forgotten about the threat that constantly patrolled the bridge until it was too late.

So there the Undead laid, his armor roasted and smoking as blood drooled from his mouth.

"No...no, no, no..." he muttered, his arms hanging at his side. He then slowly approached the burning corpse, still in shock at what had happened. Jack was shaking, his eyes hollow at what he was seeing. He was dead...there was no way that he was alive...and...

This was his fault, Javed had been helping him...he had put the man here...

Why? Why did this have to happen? They were so close, its what Javed had said. Yet, just a minute or two away from safety, this had happened. Its like fate had grabbed the rug from under them and tossed them aside! Now, Javed was dead, having been burned to death by... fire? That was all that he knew, that fire was involved somehow.

"What the hell..." he muttered.

Reaching for the body with shaking fingers, Jack had to force his hands back before he burned himself on the melting leather. It had to take some impressive heat to do damage like this...so had done it?

Getting knocked backwards had made the boy miss the entire thing. There were no other undead around, the corpses proved that. But if it wasn't one of them, then who had done it? It also wasn't an explosion, this was too widespread for that. An explosion also wouldn't have burned the bodies like this, it would have torn them apart due to its force and shrapnel. So what in god's name could have done this?

However, the truth would soon reveal itself...much to Jack's horror.

With a sudden growl coming from the far side of the bridge, Jack reluctantly turned away from Javed's corpse and looked toward the source of such a sound. And what he saw...he didn't believe it.

Standing on the opposite side of the bridge was..a Dragon.

Jack was in awe at the sight of the creature. Its red scales, its massively long neck, the dozens of spiky scales, and those wings. It could have been something truly out of a storybook if not for the fact that it looked far sinister. Still, when compared to the Undead he had seen, this creature was a marvel to behold. It almost reminded Jack of the time he fist met the Autobots. Giant creatures that should in no way be real but instead, they were standing right in front of him.

However, there was one major difference between this situation and that.

The Autobots were friendly beings to Jack and his friends. The Dragon however? Just the stare he was getting from the monstrous creature told Jack that this creature did not want to be friends. Especially after what it had done to the Chosen Undead and...everyone else on the bridge.

With a careful step or two, Jack tried to inch himself toward the stairs behind him, to escape this monster's wrath.

However, the Dragon was not about to let that happen.

With one flick of its head, the bridge once again felt itself being consumed by fire...with Jack along with it this time. The boy tried to put up his shield like his friend had warned him about earlier, but as he mentioned back then...it only lasted for a few seconds at most. Soon, the leather shield was nothing but roasted ash, and Jack was completely vulnerable to the fire raining down on him.

**_-Foosh!-_**

_'Oh God!'_ Those words echoed though Jack's mind, the last thing he could think of before the fire collided with his body.

It burned. Oh god, how it burned. Everything was on fire, his armor, his skin, his hair, and his eyes. It was like a thousand swords were being stabbed into his body, all at once. Jack wanted to scream but nothing came out. All opening his mouth did was allow the fire to travel down his throat, burning him from the inside out.

He couldn't bare the pain, it was far too much...hell, Jack couldn't even take a moment to notice a strange glowing light emerging from one of his pockets.

All he could do was sit there as the fire consumed him, darkness eventually claiming him once more...the burning sensation vanishing as Jack descended into a pitch black void...

* * *

><p><em>Where…where was he?<em>

_Jack looked around, still on his knees. All he could see for miles was pitch darkness, nothing at all besides that. Just a chilling void of nothing but silence and blackness. It gave him a chilling feeling up his spine, the darkness; it felt like it was watching him. It felt as if it was waiting for a moment to strike him…or to take him. Neither of which were promising concepts to Jack._

_Walking around for a moment, Jack nearly cursed. This wasn't what he was meant to be doing; he had to find that friend of…Javed. _

_Javed, the poor man, burned alive and left to rot on that bridge with the others. _

_All while Jack just sat there and did nothing. But what could he have done? Pull the man out of the inferno? All that would have done was gotten Jack burned himself! Sure, he still ended up getting burned anyway but he could have at least tried to help him! Hell, Jack didn't even see him die! All he did was discover the left overs after it had all happened!  
><em>

_But still, the images of a man staggering for a moment, trying to stay on his feet…only to fall to his knees and then to the ground seconds later, dead? All while he was being burned alive in a constant and torturous manner? It was a haunting image in his mind._

_Burning flesh, cooked armor, and skin flayed. All of it made Jack nearly have the urge to empty his stomach on the spot._

_The other Undead on the bridge suffered the same fate as well, roasted alive by that massive dragon. _

_A Dragon. _

_Such a thing didn't seem real to Jack. Sure, Autobots being Giant transforming robots, he understood that. But a Dragon? A real life Dragon? A gigantic red creature with long wings, sharp claws, and breath that could melt steel? That was only meant to be in fairy tales or something! And yet, here he was, suffering the same fate as his friend. Getting burned alive by a massive dragon. Such a fate wasn't something Jack was looking forward to._

**_"None seek to be burned to ash by a massive Dragon, which is not uncommon."_**

_Head shooting up, Jack looked around. That voice, it was someone else's. Meaning that he wasn't along in this Abyss after all!_

_**"Abyss? Trust me boy, this is far from the Abyss. This is just your mind…"** the voice echoed out again, **"One that is…far emptier then I imagined it to be."**_

_'Very Funny.' Jack muttered, not able to resist commenting on the jab the voice had made at himself.  
><em>

_The voice seemed to chuckle at this, **"It was not my intention to be, but to finally meet thou...tis a grand thing in my opinion. Thous kind has always been quite a question upon my tongue, and meeting you has proven to be quite an insight into it all."**_

_'Great for you maybe,' Jack grumbled, 'I don't even know whats going on!'  
><em>

_Hell, despite all the explanations Jack had gotten...he still had no idea what was going on! He was in what seemed to be a medieval world with Undead walking around, curses, and of course Dragons! He was only a High School Student! One that dealt with Giant Robots before admittedly but...this was outside his area of expertise! _

_**"Oh course you don't,"** the voice echoed again. This time though, Jack could hear the sounds of footsteps too along with the voice, almost if they were approaching him, **"But for one such as yourself, that shouldn't be a surprise."**  
><em>

_Looking toward the source of these sounds, Jack was meet with a familiar looking figure. Despite lacking the decaying mist and broken arm, Jack could recognize that armor anywhere. It was the same armor from his dream, worn by the same massive figure. But something was different about him. Besides not trying to kill the teen, he was standing up straight and...talking to him? The last time Jack saw this figure (not quite sure if he was a man or not), he tried to kill the young boy with that massive Greatsword of his!_

_**"That,"** The Knight pointed out, **"was not a dream."**_

_'Excuse me?'_

_Shaking his head, the Knight approached Jack, who was obviously a bit carious around the knight. The only experience the two have had with each other so far was a fairly traumatic event involving a disgusting creature getting skewered and a sword nearly cutting Jack in half. _

_**"Or perhaps it was,"** The Knight thought for a moment, **"Tis hard to tell, but it was more then an illusion, that I can promise you."**_

_Jack sighed, 'You're not making much sense.'_

_The Knight waved his hand, **"That is a common occurrence in a land such as this, you tend to come accustom to it." **_

_Considering how calm Javed and the other knights had been to stuff like this...that did make some sense somewhat. Huh, making sense when talking about not making sense at all...  
><em>

_What?_

_**"Ah, I am truly starting to like you boy,"** the Knight laughed, **"It only makes me wish that we hadn't met in such a predicament."**_

_'Yeah? Burning to death is quite the downer...' Jack mumbled._

_The knight shook his head however,** "No not that, but you are in quite the situation however..."**_

_That however made Jack even more confused (and curious), 'Wait, what is that suppose to-'**  
><strong>_

_**"My apologize,"** The Knight interrupted him, looking at the sky as if the sun was setting, **"But it seems like our conversation is coming to an end."**_

_Looking around, Jack could see what he meant. The Darkness that made up his 'mind' was starting to close in on them like a snake constricting around its prey. Soon it the would and they were in would be gone. Jack would likely wake up to...god knows what. The last thing he remembered was being burned alive...so what and the hell would he wake up to? Spending the last few moments burning to death or something? He sure as hell didn't want that.  
><em>

_**"As I told you, such a fear is not uncommon."** If it wasn't for the fact that they were in his head already, Jack would have asked the Knight to stop reading his mind._

_Sighing as the dream...if it was as such came to an end, Jack looked over to the Knight, 'I heard you the first time...'_

_**"Indeed,"** The Knight scratched his chin before turning away,**"Perhaps I will not have to repeat myself the next time we have words."**  
><em>

_'What?! Wait! Hold on for a second!' Jack yelled in defiance, 'Could you at least tell me your name!?'_

_The Knight seemed to chuckle at that even while he vanished, **"Why bother? You have already been told such a thing..."**_

**_"And besides, that title doesn't just belong to me anymore."_**

* * *

><p><span><em>Somewhere else, same time:<em>

Rushing his way through the streets of the Undead city, the Chosen Undead growled to himself as he ducked and weaved through multiple hollows. He had the urge to smack himself in his head as a hollowed knight sliced into his side.

"Damn it! Out of my way!" he sneered, beheading the creature before moving on his way.

How? How in Gywn's name did he forget about that accursed dragon!? He was so certain that it was safe, that the dragon was gone for the time being. But of course, the reptilian vermin just had to appear at the worst possible time. And now what was he suppose to do? Run all the way back to that dreaded bridge while that boy was there all alone...with that dragon.

A Dragon of all things! Not a hollow, not a demon...but a Dragon.

Still, during all of this the undead couldn't help but question...why did he care? Death was simply a common thing in Lordan. So the idea of this boy dieing, even if it was permanent was nothing too surprising.

Was it because of his failings so far? So many people have died during his journey, a few he even could have prevented. Laurentius of the Great Swamp for example, the free going pyromancer who taught Javed more than a few things. If only he had not told that fool about the chaos pyromancy he had discovered. If that had not happened, the man wouldn't have been tempted and entered Blighttown as a result. That accursed swamp, filled with such diseases and filth...he wouldn't have hollowed if it wasn't for Javed's actions.

How about Anastacia of Astora? The silent keeper of the bonfire at Firelink Shrine? It was his fault that the treacherous fend, Knight Lautrec of Carim had killed the girl. The Chosen Undead had released the man from his prison and didn't take a moment to notice the sinister intentions he had for the poor girl. And while he had been able to avenge the maiden and return her to life, her death was still his fault.

And that doesn't even cover the ones that suffer because he hadn't the heart to kill them. Like Quelaag. the guardian of the Bell of Awakening in Blighttown. He had filled her, only to discover that she was doing this for a sister...a sister that was constantly suffering due to her condition. Blind, weak, and on the verge of death due to the toxicity of Blighttown, the only reason Javed couldn't kill her was because she was the keeper of a bonfire. He needed her to be alive...and kind woman suffers constantly because of it.

All of these, it tore him up inside...and yet, this was his chance.

This boy, this living human...this was his chance for redemption. If he saved this boy, maybe he could atone for his sins. Maybe it was simply for his sake, the guilt eating away at his mind. If he saved Jack and helped him return to his home...a home free of the Darksign and the plague that consumes Lordan, then maybe his guilt will lesson.

The Chosen Undead will never be free of his sins...but his small comfort may help him cope with it all.

Yet, this was all in jeopardy now! All because of one simply moment of forgetfulness!

"Agh!" Ignoring the wounds the hollows had dealt to him, the Chosen Undead quickly made his way through the pits of the Undead Berg. It might have been wiser to take the lift again, but he was just too much in a rush and his memory had gotten the better of him. Having rushed through the hollow filled streets of the city far too many times to remember, the undead was far too used to doing such instead of using the lift.

Still, he was making remarkable time however. It may have been due to him not being as careful but at the moment he really didn't care. If he could get back to the bridge...he could still help the boy, just maybe.

Maybe no hollows had discovered him yet, and maybe that Dragon hadn't...

"No!" he yelled at himself. He couldn't even consider that...not if he was going to keep this disillusion about freeing himself of his guilt. It was one of the small things he could do to keep himself from going hollow and turning into one of the same pitiful creatures he often killed. Javed would not give up on this so easily...

But upon reaching the bridge after slaughtering countless undead, Javed felt his heart sink.

Just as it was when he perished, the bridge was ablaze. Fire was spewing off the side of the stone structure, burning everything and rendering everything to ash. All the corpses (including his own) were gone by now, either ash due to the undead being reborn at a bonfire or just by the flames themselves.

If Jack had came up to check on him after the Dragon had killed him...

"No." Javed shook his head. He refused to believe that, not until he saw the boy's body personally would he believe that.

As the Flames slowly started to die down, the Chosen Undead took a deep breath. With the Dragon in the area, he had to be quick. If he could make it to the center of the bridge, he could check on Jack and everything would be alright...hopefully.

However just as the undead was about to make his attempt, he noticed something.

At the center of a bridge was a figure, a inhumanly tall one to be precise. It was massive, with a incredibly large shield protecting it from the fire and a Greatsword stabbed into the ground besides the figure itself. Covered in armor (surprisingly clean armor too) from head to toe, Javed narrowed his eyes at the figure, why was it just standing there? Did it not know about the Dragon? Most undead, even the most insane would be running for their lives at the sight of the beast. But this one was just standing there like he had awoken from a nap.

Still smoking from the fire's heat, Javed watched as the figure stood up straight. Doing so however made Javed notice the figure's full appearance, shocking the man to his core.

"Tis not..." The Chosen Undead was dumbstruck with what he was looking at, "..n-not possible."

Face obscured by a blue hood, the figure turned to look at the Chosen Undead. Tilting his head, the unknown man looked curiously at the Chosen Undead, more confused than anything else. This resulted in the man who had defeated the guardians of the Bells of Awakening taking a step back or two, utterly frozen at who he was looking at. It just wasn't possible.

The man he was looking at was dead...but, who else would wield a Geatsword like that, and who else would wear such armor? It couldn't be anyone else...

...but...

"A...Artorias?..."

* * *

><p><em>Hope you like my characterization of 'My' version of the Chosen Undead. He is similar to my play-style of the Chosen Undead during my first run of Dark Souls. Forgetting what happens to Laurentius when you tell him about a 'Chaos' pyromancy and what happens to Anastacia if you leave that backstabber alive. And of course, Quelaag's sister. I can't bring myself to kill her, I feel so bad though...<em>

_I hope it helps give him a reason to help Jack. Lordan is filled with death, and helping the boy is perhaps a small way for him to pay back all those who he has failed._

_He just doesn't know about the other sacrifices he will encounter later on._

_And finally, I do hope you like how I did the 'voice' in this chapter too. I'm sure most of you know how he is now and know I did my best with what we know about him, especially his attitude towards humans he displayed his his dropped dialogue.  
><em>

_RxR please! I would like to see your comments!_


	5. Praise the Sun

_RxR please! I would like to see your comments!_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 5: Praise the Sun.<em>

* * *

><p>As Jack awoke, a soaring pain filled his body. He felt limp, just barley standing on his feet. It felt like something had ran over him like a train...<p>

...or a pillar of fire.

The memories of the Dragon's fire were still fresh in his mind, burning his body to the very core. It was hell, a hell that he couldn't even find the right words to describe it. The leather armor he had been wearing was burned to his skin, creating a tormenting sensation over his entire body. His eyes had piratically melted, his bones were cracking under the heat, and god, his internal organs felt as if they had burst from the increasing temperature alone.

And yet, that was only a few seconds in the blaze. Jack could only imagine the hell he should of been feeling as the fire extinguished his life.

So, why wasn't he burning then?

Looking around, Jack could easily tell that he wasn't burning anymore. In fact, just being able able to...think straight meant that he wasn't being burned from the inside out anymore. Hell, Jack figured that his brain would have been mush by now.

So, how wasn't he a pile of ash at the moment? He had been standing on a stone bridge, its not like there was anything around that could have put him out. Jack's fate should have been the same as the other hollows and Javed himself..and yet, it wasn't.

Slowly glancing at the area around, Jack was relieved to find himself back on the bridge in the Undead Berg once again. Sure, it wasn't the best place he could think of...but it was better than being thrown somewhere different again. Especially if one were to consider the last few times that happened...

"God, this is just giving me a head-" he grumbled, moving to rub his aching head.

**-Clank-**

Jack raised a eyebrow, "Huh?"

Looking down at himself (the ground seemed a bit farther away than it should have been), the boy noticed that his hand was covered in something fairly different than how it was before the dragon cooked him alive. Instead of a leather glove (which would have been nothing but a burn mush by that point), Jack found his hand covered in a large metal guantlet. His fingers, hand, and entire lower arm was covered in a steel that sparkled silver.

Momentarily noticing the hood he was wearing (the blue material was actually doing a good job in hiding his face), Jack then turned his gaze downward and noticed that it wasn't just his glove that had changed. Covering his entire body was a massive suit of silver armor, no sign of his previous attire anywhere to be seen. His hands, arms, legs, and torso were completely covered in plates armor and chain-mail.

Along with all of the armor, there was also a light blue cloth tied around the teen's waist and shoulders. It was the same cloth that made up the hood that obscured Jack's face along with a metal helmet atop his head. It was both a thick and light material, something that was made to last despite both the effects of time and the rough conditions of battle.

It was a armor that should have felt far too heavy for someone like Jack. But for some reason, it didn't. In fact, the strange armor felt much more comfortable than the leather suit he had been wearing before.

But, where had it come from? And still, why wasn't he on fire? Such a dramatic change made no sense...

* * *

><p><em>The Knight waved his hand, <strong>"That is a common occurrence in a land such as this, you tend to come accustom to it."<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Ah, right..." Jack grumbled, "Forgot about that."<p>

Resisting the urge to pinch his nose in frustration, Jack just let his arms fall to his side (causing a audible 'clank').

At the other end of the bridge was a lone figure. It looked like a knight actually, and not just a hollowed one. This one actually seemed normal-ish since it wasn't slouching or trying to kill something out of random. In fact, it almost looked like...

"Javed?" the boy wondered out loud. But it couldn't be his friend, his friend was dead. Burned to ash by the Dragon that-

The Dragon. Jack had forgotten about the Dragon.

"Shit."

Turning around as fast as he could, Jack caught the Dragon just as it was about to set the bridge ablaze again. And of course, he wanted to have nothing to do with that. So, Jack quickly grabbed his sword and shield and rolled off to the side, just narrowly avoiding another pillar of fire.

**_-Fwoosh!-_**

Slamming his back against the stony surface of the bridge, Jack let out a sigh once the fire flew safely past him. The Dragon's fire was quite hot at THIS range, so getting any closer was not something Jack was willing to do at this point. Hell, he had somehow escaped getting roasted once already but he wasn't willing to test his luck again.

Facing away from the fire, Jack finally noticed another change that had occurred. His sword and his shield.

No longer was he holding a bland looking blade, but instead it was something much more. The weapon was massive, easily reaching a length that might even match Jack's current height (he was taller, his legs were far longer than he remembered) and was much sharper than his original sword was. The blade also had an unworldly feel to it as well, something Jack couldn't quite point his finger on. For some reason, he had a feeling that hollows weren't the only creatures he could cut down with such a sword.

That aside, Jack then turned his attention to the other change that had occurred, his shield...if he could call it such anymore.

Instead of the small yet reasonable shield he had before (which Jack realized, had been reduced to ash by the Dragon's fire), Jack now had his hands on something much larger. More of a Great-Shield, the massive wall of metal sat in the boy's hand in resonance with the sword he was wielding, as if they matched each other.

Jack sighed, letting the two weapons fall to the ground, "Resonating? What am I thinking?"

Things were just getting stranger and stranger for Jack, and he had a feeling that trend wouldn't be changing anytime soon.

And, almost if provoked by such a feeling, Jack shouldn't have been THAT surprised with what happened next.

Amongst waiting for the fire to stop (that Dragon had to have a pair of big lungs to breathe fire for so long), Jack's mind drifted back to that strange figure he had seen at the other end of the bridge. It had looked so familiar, even if Jack hadn't been able to get that good of a look at it.

"This place is weird enough already..." he muttered to himself, "...could that have been...?"

But Jack didn't have long to think about such a thing.

For when the fire finally started to dissipate, the boy suddenly found himself being tackled by something. And unfortunately for him, Jack had sat right next to the top of the stairs, resulting in both of the two falling down said stairs in quite a painful fashion. His armor might have felt more comfortable than his last one...but that didn't mean falling down stairs would be any less painful.

Back slamming into the hard floor of the room the stairs had ended them up in, Jack slowly reached up to rub his aching head. While doing so however, the boy felt a sudden pressure on his stomach and when he opened his eyes...there was a sword in his face.

Truly, this was becoming a common thing in Lordran for him.

With one good look at the person holding the sword however, Jack's eyes widened. His eyes had not been deceiving him.

The Chosen Undead looked the same as Jack remembered him. The only real difference was the fact that he wasn't a smoking corpse, which was remarkable when one considered the chard state that his body was in previously. However, this didn't seem to help the man's mood. In fact, he seemed even more angry than the last time Jack saw him to, which would explain the knee in his chest and the sword at his neck.

"Boy," he growled, "...I am at my wits end."

"Either you explain what in the Abyss is going on," he pushed his sword forward, "...or I'll gut you right here and now."

The Chosen Undead grabbed Jack by the shoulder and pushed him down, "First you appear without an explanation, among the dead in DarkRoot Basin. Unaware of the world around thyself, you then somehow have the Soul of a Knight who was far gone from this world upon your person..."

"And now...you survive a Dragon's breath, and take his form for yourself?!" he growled, hands tightening, "I will not simply take a 'I don't know' this time, boy."

A moment passed in silence, with Jack processing what his 'friend' had demanded while Javed glared through his helmet.

Despite how random and strange Lordran could be, the Chosen Undead could only stand so much. And with this mysterious child now taking the form of one of the greatest knights in the land's long history? No, he couldn't let this pass, not this time. This boy had to answer for his actions or else he would suffer, there was no doubt about it.

However, combined with the irritation Jack has been having due to the mental conversation he just had and the fact that he was just thrown down some stairs...

Jack's answer was a bit more blunt than Javed had hoped.

With his eyes narrowing, Jack promptly lifted one of his (noticeably longer) legs and kicked the Chosen Undead in the chest. His boot was massive, nearly as long as the man's chest as he pushed him away. Doing so easily sent the man flying across the room in an instant, complementing the new strength that was granted with Jack's new form.

Lumbering upward (still not used to his new center of gravity), Jack lifted his armored limb and reached for his sword, his gauntlet covered hand grasping the sword's handle. Lifting the massive weapon upward with a slight effort, Jack pointed the blade's tip directly at the Chosen Undead, stopping just under the man's chin. His hand trembling just a tad, Jack kept the man at a distance as he regained his composure.

"Listen to me," giving him only one warning, Jack tried to remain calm, "I get it, you're confused. And please understand, so am I..."

Javed growled, "Stop with these pathetic delusions! How could one such as yourself gain his form without your knowledge!? How could you be wearing his skin like a common rug and yet know nothing about what goes on?!"

The Chosen Undead was furious, the urge to bat the boy's sword away was just itching on the edge of his mind. With his hand trembling, he could easily disarm the lad and behead him before he could even gasp. But remarkably, he stayed his hand. For what reason? He didn't know. But whatever the case may be, he let the bot speak his mind.

"Damn It! I-Don't-Know!" Jack yelled, stomping his boot into the ground for emphasis, "I don't remember what happened! All I know is that there was the Dragon, then I had a strange dream, and then 'Poof', I'm a giant in fancy armor!"

That truly was his best explanation for the recent events, no matter how ridiculous and simple it sounded. And to a Knight like Javed, it did sound fairly odd to be sure.

"And you truly expect me to believe that?" The Chosen Undead was not impressed, "Tis but a fantasy that you aim to shove down my throat. A blatant lie, one that thou really believes I shall swallow so easily?"

"Honestly? No, I don't." Javed raised a brow at such a response, so Jack continued, "I don't expect a damn thing really, but its all I got."

He sighed, his voice taking a much calmer tone when compared to his frantic speech from before, "I just want to go home, thats all. I don't want any treasure from this place or to kill anyone. I don't want to mess with anyone's heads like you think I might. Hell, I don't even want to just sit around a bonfire like you guys do."

"I just want to go home...to my friends and my family." Jack nearly whispered, "And...I'll deal with anything this place throws at me if I have to. Even if it means you too."

Silence quickly emerged once Jack had finished, neither of the two speaking even a single word. Jack stood there with his arm extended, sword still in his hand. He had just pleaded his case with everything he had. Now he could only hope that the man could understand, even if it was only party. Because honestly, Jack wasn't sure if he could take him otherwise. He wasn't that good of a fighter and with his new appearance...Jack wasn't sure if he could even last five seconds.

"So," Jack cautiously asked, "Can we go check with your friend now, or are you going to try and kill me again?"

With his sword still pointing at the Undead, Jack watched as the man in question remained silent. Casually touching the tip of the boy's sword as if it was nothing, the Chosen Undead let out a small chuckle, "Truly, sitting around a bonfire is the least exciting thing we do."

As a bit of blood trailed down his thumb, Javed shook his head, "But to reach Solaire, we need to get past that Dragon first."

Still a bit cautious, Jack lowered his sword, "And do you have any idea how to do that?"

Even if it was concealed by his helmet, the Chosen Undead smirked, "Oh yes, I do indeed."

Turning to the side, Jack watched as the Chosen Undead reached toward his back and grabbed a small composite bow from off his armor. Then after snatching a small arrow from a quiver on his belt, the Undead motioned toward a the doorway that the two had used to reach their current location just awhile ago.

"Be prepared to run when I return." he warned before stepping through the stone doorway, leaving Jack more than a bit confused. What could he be doing over there that could get them past the Dragon? The accursed beast was on the other side of the bridge above them and Jack highly doubted that a simple arrow could do all that much.

His luck however, would soon demonstrate why it was so horrible to the boy.

With an earsplitting roar echoing through the air, Jack resisted the urge to cover his ears as they were assaulted by the excruciating screech. However, just as the roar started to die down, Jack noticed his companion sprint back into the room and toward the stairs.

"What was tha-"

"RUN!"

Grabbing Jack's arm before he could even mutter a 'what?' in response, the Chosen Undead quickly dragged the boy up the stairs (which was harder than it sounded due to his larger size) and onto the bridge. Once the two were above ground however, Jack quickly noticed that the Dragon had vanished from its previous position. No longer was the beast on the other side of the bridge, no...

Instead, it standing at the center...right in front of them, in all its terrifying glory...and Jack quickly realized how much more horrifying the massive creature was when viewed up close.

"Holy..." the boy muttered before nearly having his arm ripped off.

"Don't STOP!" Javed quickly yelled, not stopping even for a moment as he pulled the shell-shocked boy along.

Running toward the monster's legs, Jack and Javed just narrowly dodged the dragon's massive gaping jaw as it tried to consume them in one bite. As the stone bridge shook once the beast's mouth collided with the stoney surface, the two humans ran between Dragon's legs and toward the very same portion of the bridge where the Dragon once stood.

Upon reaching the massive doorway that had teased them previously, Jack and the Chosen undead quickly dove to the side as a burning sensation creaped up their spines. With the sound of earth shattering footsteps behind them, the two didn't dare to turn around. They didn't wish to see the massive Dragon glaring down at them, or to see it once again try to burn them alive.

So instead, they hid behind the walls of the fortress, allowing the aging stone to protect them from the beast's flames for one last time.

**_-Fwoosh!-_**

When the fire dissipated however, the two slowly peered out from their cover and looked toward where the Dragon should have been. But much to their delight, the Dragon was gone for the moment, the bridge clear of its scaly hide.

"Well," Jack sighed, slipping down onto the floor, "That was fun..."

The Chosen Undead let out a huff, "Indeed..."

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Jack watched as the Chosen undead pushed off the wall and made his way toward the center of the room. Luckily for him, there happened to be a bonfire there, just in front of a nearby statue. Quite convenient.

Jack shook his head, "Undead...right."

The first hing an Undead would do after getting past something like a Dragon would be to visit a Bonfire...especially if the beast burned him alive in the process. Still, such a thing wasn't something Jack was interested in. Instead, Jack found his interest gained by something else.

Sitting next to the boy was a large lever, one that was placed right next to the massive gate from before. The same gate that had forced Jack and Javed to take the alternate route in the first place, the reason why they had to deal with the Dragon at all.

"Oh yes..." Jack muttered, pushing himself upward and marching over to the contraption. Taking hold of the lever with one hand, Jack effortlessly activated the device, the sound of gears turning in the background. And much to his delight, the Gate shook for a moment before lifting upward, exposing the boy to a set of stairs that would lead him back to the Undead Parish.

Meaning that they wouldn't have to deal with that Dragon ever again...hopefully.

"Damn straight." Jack scoffed before picking up his sheild and sword, balancing the latter on his shoulder. Due to the sword's great length, carrying it in such a manner was much easier than just lugging it around.

With Javed still sitting around the bonfire, Jack let loose a sigh and walked over to him, "Hey, you doing alright?"

Not even turning around, the Undead waved off the boy's concern, "Yes, yes. Just taking a moment to rest is all."

Jack could understand that. After getting burned alive once and nearly having it happen again, anyone would have been tired.

"Right, sorry."

A sigh escaping him, Javed turned back to the boy, "Its quite alright. That was a tiring experience for the both-"

But the man's words died in his throat when he gazed at the boy's form. Up close and personal, the Chosen Undead could see all the indents and marks that made up the boy's armor. It might have been in a better condition than he remembered, but that armor still awoke memories in Javed's mind. And how Jack held that sword just clinched the deal.

Having noticed the strange look, Jack tilted his head in confusion, "What?"

Eyes focusing just a bit too long, Javed shook his head and focused back on the bonfire in front of him, "Tis nothing, just...old memories popping up again."

The flames dancing in his eyes, the Chosen Undead sat upward and got to his feet before Jack could mutter a response. If he was correct, then Solaire was just in the next room. No need to focus on his withered memories when their goal was right there in front of them.

"Right then," he announced before turning to Jack, "Time to see what this is all about, wouldn't you say?"

Giving him only a nod, Jack grabbed his shield and followed the Chosen Undead into a room that stood on the opposite side of the chamber, across where the gate once stood. Having to duck under the stone entrance due to his new height (Hell, he even had to squeeze through it due to being much too small for someone like him now), Jack found himself in a outdoor section of the Undead Parish.

Comparable to a small courtyard, Jack became a bit concerned when he noticed a few hollows occupying the area. But upon closer inspection, Jack noticed they were...different.

Even when compared to the decaying bodies of the dead they had fought on their journey, these ones were even more grotesque. They were covered in nothing but a bunch of rags, displaying to everyone how shriveled up and weak their bodies were. Bald and with sunken eyes, they held on a single thing. A sword that had been broken in half.

The creatures were the true fate of the undead, a undead who had hollowed to the very brink. Their minds and bodies had decayed to the point of no return. There was nothing left, no rational thoughts or movements. They simply existed, moving like blind rates in the darkness. These were no longer men, or even undead. They were husks, the fate of humanity if completely consumed by the Darksign.

Such a horrifying fate, Jack tried to ignore them as Javed led him toward the center of the courtyard. There stood a risen part of the yard, aged much more than the rest of the stone complex and grass growing among a ruined statue. It was a surprisingly peaceful location, with a steady stream of sunlight shining down from above. And standing at the center of this grassy patch was a unknown figure to Jack, one very different from the husks nearby.

It was a man, standing about the same height as Javed. Suited in a large bucket-like helmet and a set of chain-mail armor with a thin cloth covering its front and back, Jack nearly gaped when he noticed an insignia imprinted on the man's armor. It was a stylistic image of a sun, a face depicted at its center. Armed with a sword on his belt and a shield with that same symbol on its surface, the man turned toward the two people approaching him.

Recognizing one of them, the man let out a cheerful laugh, "Ah! My friend! Its good to see you again! How has your journey been? Smooth summoning out there?"

Jack was a bit taken back by just how...happy the man sounded. The only person he had seen so far that was anything like this was Siegmeyer. And even then, the onion knight had a saddened tone underneath his words. But this man was...something else.

The Chosen Undead chuckled at his friend's words, "Been quite a bit busy my friend, but its nice to see you as well."

Laughing heartily at his friends response, the man then noticed Jack, "A shame to hear that, but who is this accompanying you? He seems to be quite the warrior if his appearance seems to be anything to go by."

Hearing such a first impression, Jack had two reactions to that. On one hand, Jack was slightly glad to see that he didn't react as harshly as Javed did. Yet, the fact that the man had imminently figured that he was a warrior of some kind was a bit off-putting for the teen. He wasn't a fighter (or, at least he wasn't a very good one), and he yet...Jack had a feeling that this new form of his was going to get that reaction from nearly everyone he met from then on.

A giant covered in armor could get a reaction like that fairly easily.

"Heh," Javed shook his head at such a claim, "Appearances can be deceiving."

Extending his arm toward Jack, the Chosen Undead chuckled, "This my friend is Jack, a very...interesting individual I had discovered some time ago."

Jack couldn't help but frown at that, feeling as if he should have been insulted by that. But, he let it pass.

"And this boy," Javed addressed Jack now, "Is the man I have been telling you about. This is Solaire of Astora."

By that point, Jack had figured who this man was quite easily. Although, he had been surprised by the man himself. So far, Jack had only met around three other people during his time in Lordran, with everyone else being either a hollow or a Dragon. So seeing a new 'face' was something he appreciated, even if Solaire seemed a bit odd. Still, if that meant Jack could finally head back home, he had no reason to complain.

Solaire seem to brighten up at that, "So, you've been spreading my name around? Such an honor, I thank you good sir." the knight nodded before Solaire turned to Jack, having to look upward at him due to his larger height, "And I welcome you sir Jackson, its always nice to see a new face among the hallowed steps of Lordran."

"Um, the pleasure is mine?" Jack honestly had no idea how to react, so he went the easy route.

"Indeed it is," Javed added, "But with the introductions aside, we actually came for your assistance my friend."

"Ah, you have need of me?" Solaire asked the duo, "Well, by all means. How could I be of service? Need some jolly cooperation? You know that you hadn't needed to come to me for this, only to discover my summoning sign would have been enough."

The Chosen Undead let out a small laugh. Oh, he had experienced such a thing far too many times to forget. The Gargoyles and the Gaping Dragon were battles that would have been quite challenging without some assistance from his brother in arms.

"No, no." he waved the man's concerns aside, "Nothing so simple. We actually have a fairly unique problem, and thou are one of the only one I could turn to for this."

"Oh?" Solaire looking on in thought, "And what might that be?"

Pointing to Jack again (Even poking the boy in the chest so he could prove his point), the Chosen Undead began to explain Jack's plight. He went on to explain where he had found Jack, the boy's condition at the time, what Jack had told him upon awakening, and the strange circumstances around his time in Lordran. The only thing he didn't mention was who Jack had transformed into, which made Jack wonder. Why hadn't this man asked about his appearance? Javed knew quite a bit about it apparently, but Solaire hadn't even given him a second look.

As Javed finished explaining, Jack made a note about asking him about that later.

"Aye, that is quite the conundrum." the knight of Astora noted, "And have you tried anything so far? A miracle or sorcery perhaps?"

Inwardly, Jack wanted to groan. There was magic in this place too? Sure, he could understand people believing in religion or something due to the desperate nature of this land, but he knew what 'Sorcery' meant. First there was a curse that brought the dead back to life in a constant cycle of hell, but now there was sorcery? It was magic plane and simple...and a headache waiting to happen.

Javed sighed, "I'm afraid not. I highly doubt the boy has the skills to preform either of those traits, be it due to a lacking of faith or a lack of intelligence."

"Hey!"

Ignoring the boy's shout, Solaire agreed. It didn't sound like Jack would have any knowledge of notable sorceries or have any type of faith in the deities of Lordran. Still, that wasn't the only option they had.

"How about a homeward bone?"

Javed looked confusingly at such a suggestion while Jack was just...well, the normal type of confusion, "Whats a Homeward Bone?"

The Chosen Undead sighed. He would need a book filled with the tales of Lordran at this rate, the boy knew basically NOTHING about their world, "A Homeward Bone is a Bone fragment reduced to white ash, ones that make up a bonfire. When crushed, they return the person in question to the last bonfire they were at due to a lingering connection the person has with the bonfire."

He then turned to Solarie with a sigh, "And, theres no point to trying such a thing. The boy is a living human, and thus never needed a bonfire, nor do I believe that he has such constructs in his home either."

But, Solarie thought differently, "Ah, but thats something interesting isn't it?"

Turning to Jack, the Sunlight Knight dug into a pouch and pulled out a dull white bone. Tossing it to the boy, the man let out a small chuckle, "The Homeward Bones do send thou back to a bonfire, it is based on a...homeward instinct, so to speak."

"And while this boy," he pointed to Jack, "Has never truly used a bonfire, he surely has a home to return to, right?"

Jack and Javed shared a look, both of them remembering their conversation from earlier, "Yes, yes he does."

"Then," he reasoned, "It should work in manner of speech. The bonfires are the home to the undead, us creatures who have left our birthplaces to come to this dying land for a reason of our own, but this boy's home...is still his home."

Giving Jack's tall form a serious look, the knight pointed to the bone and closed his fist, "Crush it in your hand, and perhaps it will drive you home."

The boy was a bit skeptic about the whole concept of course. He didn't understand how a simple bone could transport him home. He had no idea what had brought him there, but returning him with a method like this seemed even stranger. However, after seeing Javed return from the ashy grave...he was willing to give anything a shot.

So after giving Javed and Solaire a affirmative nod, Jack took a deep breath and crushed the bone in the palm of his armored hand, ash pooling at the center of his palm. Seconds past after that, with the three individuals waiting for something to happen.

And at first, something did happen. Suddenly, Jack found himself being surrounded by a strange glowing aura and in the middle of a mysterious circle of light. Looking at the faces of his friends (at least he liked to consider them as such), this looked fairly normal. Solaire was happy at the aspect that it was working and Javed seemed surprised by the face. It looked like Jack might have been going home after all.

But seconds later, nothing came from it. The light and circle vanished and Jack hadn't even moved an inch.

"Scrap..." the boy muttered, letting the ashes drop the ground in disappointment.

Solaire too looked sadden at the result, "Hm, I wonder what went wrong..."

The Chosen Undead on the other hand was less surprised than the others, "I told you, they don't work that way."

"Perhaps," Solaire muttered, scratching the underside of his helmet, "Or perhaps there is something interfering with it?"

Javed scoffed, not believing that for a second. Even Jack had to admit...what could be messing with him like that? And why would they?

"It was just a suggestion," the knight admitted, "You mentioned how Sir Jack had no idea what had brought him to our dear Land of the Ancient Lords, so maybe what brought him here is also keeping him from leaving so easily?"

While that was a possibility...neither of the two had any idea what that force could be. All Jack remembered was...darkness, any else was simply a blurr. It was maddening for sure, but its all he had at the moment.

Seeing their responses, Solaire let out a mournful huff, "Hm, such a predicament you are in...I wish I could assist you further, but my hands are tied." He was simply a man of the sword who knew something of assisting others through summon signs. Solaire wasn't a grand Sorcerer, so his ability to help was...limited.

"Its," Jack sighed, "Its fine..."

Truth be told however, no it wasn't 'fine' at all, not for Jack anyway. So far, this man had been the only idea Javed had when it came with helping him, and now that had lead to a dead end. But, the boy couldn't blame the man for it, its not like he knew they were coming and could prepare. They were all stumped, and now a new path needed to be found...

Somehow.

"Perhaps," Solaire patted Jack on the side of his arm (since he couldn't reach his shoulder), "But I still wish to assist thee."

Digging into his pocket, the man pulled out a strange looking crystal. It was just big enough to fit into Jack's hand and it was pure white with a bit of cloth tired around one of its ends, "This will allow you to summon the spirits of others to assist you in battle, myself included. If you find yourself needing assistance during your quest, I am more than happy to assist you!"

Eyes widening, Jack stared at the crystal with awe. It was just like Javed had said, and now Jack could summon other people too?

"Thank you." he told Solaire with gratitude, "I don't know what to say..."

Solaire laughed hearty at the boy's grateful attitude, "Then say noting and go about your quest! All of us have a reason we have come to this land, be it knowing or unknowing!"

Looking up at the sky, the Undead Knight clenched his fist, "I came to this land, undead of my own accord so I could find my very own sun. And while I have come long and far, I have yet to find it...but I refuse to abandon my quest!"

"And you!" he pointed to Jack, "You seek to return home, body and mind intact!

"You may not be undead, but you are still a warrior in this, the Birthplace of Lord Gwyn!" Solaire continued, "We fight in the light of his glorious sun, and until our bodies return to ash or our goal reached, we shall never stop! For that is to be a Warrior of the Sun!"

Even if he still felt disappointed at the lack of progress, Jack did feel a bit better after hearing the man's words. His situation was still shrouded in mystery, like the shadows he found in his dreams, but the Sun...the sun Solaire spoke of made Jack feel as if there was still hope in his situation. He might be trapped in a place filled with the unknown, but that didn't mean he was beyond hope of answers...and the chance of going home.

Once Solaire had completed his grand speech however, Javed couldn't help but chuckle. This was quite similar to the speech the Knight had given the Chosen Undead once he considered joining his 'Sunlight Covenant'. Only this one was a bit more personal and grand...just like he had expected from the Sunlight Knight.

"Well, said my compatriot." The Chosen Undead told the Knight, "But now is the time for us to depart. If you have no way of assisting us, then perhaps others shall, somewhere in this land of ours."

Solaire agreed with such an idea, "Aye, many strangers live among Lordran. Be it in the DarkRoot forest, the Blight Town before, or" He looked toward the sun, "The light of Anor Londo, maybe there is someone else that could possibly assist you in your quest Sir Jack."

The boy in question nearly laughed at Solaire's constant referral to him as 'Sir'. It was nearly as bad as Optimus calling him Jackson or something, only Solaire wasn't nearly as commanding or serious as the massive Prime was.

"Thanks," Jack responded, extending a hand to the knight, "And thanks for the help, it means alot."

Solaire laughed once again and took the boy's hand in a strong yet, friendly grip, "Why of course, it was my pleasure. And I do hope to meet you again my friend, yet it be on the field of battle or simply at a time only the lords are aware of."

"Yeah," Jack smiled, "I'd like that."

Repressing a laugh, the Chosen Undead merely shook his head at the two's goodbye. Nodding his head toward the door, the man pulled Jack along while giving Solaire a look of farewell. He knew where to find the man, and was pretty certain that he would see Solaire again soon enough.

With the two leaving the Knight to himself, Jack and Javed made their way back toward the nearby bonfire, with Jack once again having to duck and squeeze his way though a nearby door. His new appearance was...going to be an issue sooner or later, he was sure of it.

Still, the boy tried to not let that affect him at the moment. Instead he focused on Solaire and the man's many words of wisdom...

"A little dramatic, wasn't he?" Jack tried not to smile under his hood. Solaire helped with the boy's mood, but even Jack could agree that the Knight was a bit...elaborate with his speech.

Javed let out a small laugh as the two walked up some stairs, making their way back into the Undead Parish and back toward Fire-Link Shrine, "That is Solaire I suppose, whether its in the world or the hearts of others..."

"He is always searching for his sun..."

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><p><em>So, we finally have Solaire in this Chapter...what do you think?<em>

_I hope I depicted Solaire correctly. He is one of the characters throughout Dark Souls that we encounter the most (if not the most), so there was much more to base him off in this. Still, most of that concerned idle talk and not what he was about, so I had to chose some things too. Still, this is before Lost Izalith, so he is still much more upbeat._

_And just to tell you all, this will not be the last time Jack meets Solaire...but the next time we see him might be something you do not expect._

_So too about the lack of involvement with Jack's new appearance. That will be covered more in the next chapter. There was just so much going on in this one (and how much it bothered the Chosen Undead), made it hard for the two of them to talk about it. Still, the full ramifications of this will hit soon, I assure you._

_RxR please! I would like to see your comments!_


	6. Back to the Beginning

_RxR please! I would like to see your comments!_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 5: Back to The Beginning<br>_

* * *

><p><em>The Undead Parish<em>

* * *

><p>The march back toward Fire-Link was a tough one for the two. While Solaire had given the hope for Jack's plight, there was still much left in shadow. What if the thing that had brought Jack to this world was truly keeping him from leaving? Why would it do that? And for what reason did it have for bringing him there in the first place?<p>

And still, what could be done about it? Neither of them doubted the idea that there were others in Lordran that could help him, but their locations and what they could do exactly were something that was just as unknown to them.

Truly, they were at a stand still.

Still, Jack was not one to give up so easily. Even as he dragged his giant armored body, massive sword and shield in hand, back toward the same path they originally took, his mind was on the move. The Knight from Astora, despite being a odd person, was quite the speaker. His words had filled the boy with hope, no matter how bleak it looked. He would find a way home and solve the mysteries concerning his arrival. He was sure of it.

But, upon thinking about Solaire, another thought came back up. One Jack had made a note about it back during their conversation with the Sun knight.

"Hey, Javed?" Jack looked down at the man, such a thing still surprising him quite a bit. He wasn't used to being so tall...

Looking upward, the Chosen Undead raised a bow, "Yes? What is it?"

"If you don't mind me asking..." Jack nearly started to twiddle his thumbs, this was likely going to be a touchy subject with the Undead, "But, why didn't Solaire...say anything about how I looked?"

Javed's pace slowed down a tad, but he didn't stop completely, "Pardon?"

Sighing, Jack shook his head, "Its just...you made a big deal about how I looked...so I was worried that others might too."

If every sane person he met acted like Javed did when he saw Jack after his change, then Jack wasn't sure how he could survive. Getting a sword shoved in his face with every conversation would have been quite a pickle.

"But..." he hesitated, "He really didn't say anything about it, in fact all he noticed was my height and such...so, why was that?"

If Artorias was such a big legend that Javed would nearly kill him (twice in fact) for looking like him and having his 'soul', then why didn't someone like Solaire even bat a eyelash at him? It didn't really make sense to Jack, but nothing in this world did really.

Shoulders slumping, the Chosen Undead hung his head. Jack winced at that, it was like he had just punched the man in the gut or something...

Stopping just before they reached the church, the man sighed, "Artorias is a knight of legend, his time was centuries ago." Javed said while focusing on the path in front of him, "No one of this time except a very slim few know what he even looks like, nearly everything about him has been lost to the decaying nature of time."

Like hollowing, time would age and decay nearly anything into a shell of its former-self. Like a Undead's mind, known events would become legend, then myth, before finally becoming nothing but a story. And given enough time, history could be lost completely, fading like a flame into non-existence like many of the souls who had traveled to Lordran itself.

Under his hood, Jack raised a eyebrow, "Okay, that explains him...but...how did you-"

While walking up the steps toward the church, Javed came to a stop and gazed up at Jack, "Time is fluid in Lordran." he explained, "It is what allows us to summon others to assist us in battle. No matter if they are doing something else or are dead in themselves, their spirits can come assist us years in the past or the future."

"And through such flimsy physics...I once encountered the Knight in question..." he hesitated for a second.

"...and killed him."

A chill suddenly shot through Jack's spine. He was sharing the same appearance as a man that Javed had killed with his own two hands? That was slightly concerning, and explained why he was so tense just a bit.

Javed sighed, "I apologize for my actions, but you must understand."

"Artorias fell to my blade after slaying me many times. I freed his tormented soul from a hellish existence and then gave his remains to one of his closest compatriots. It was back, hundreds of years ago that this happened..."

Upon hearing these words, the mention of a hellish existence...images started rushing back to Jack. They were old, dark, and decayed, but he could still make them all out. An old decaying Colosseum, a sickening monster being impaled by a large rusted blade, and a knight with a broken arm roaring at Jack before leaping into the air. It felt so real, even if Jack was certain that it was a dream.

He stared into Jack's eyes then, "So, to see you not only processing his soul...but also taking his form, is quite a shock to myself."

Biting back a wince, Jack had to admit that he was right. It sounded like a Ghost from someone's past. Only instead of trying to kill him again, the ghost was a mysterious friend and was previously a teenager that was significantly shorter than the Hollow himself.

"But," the Chosen Undead sighed, "Thou has made me understand your plight, even if I am still unsure about it."

Due to how neither of them knew the exact reason behind his appearance in this land and why he appeared as he was, Javed had reason to feel that way. But the fact that he still wanted to help made Jack gladly sigh at that. But Javed wasn't finished yet.

"However," he gave the boy a sharp look, "Others might not see the same picture as I do, and you might find yourself in quite a situation if such a thing occurs."

Jack had a different reaction to that however. It might have been Solaire's words still ringing through his mind or something else influencing him, but the boy wasn't as worried. Hell, a small part of his mind even welcomed the challenge while the other part was reasonably worried like he should have been.

Lifting his sword onto his shoulder, Jack let out a small shrug, "If that happens, I'll deal with it. I came this far, I'm not giving up now."

With his brow raised underneath his helmet, Javed had to admit that Jack was quite determined. Still, he couldn't be too sure of himself. Countless undead had come to Lordran in the past with the same idea in their heads and look at how they ended up. Dead, hollowed, or worse. Jack might be a strong one, but he lacked many things that were required for whatever stood ahead of him.

Starting with, his fighting skills were utterly pathetic.

"Giving up may not be your intention, but that doesn't mean you won't get your behind handed to you many times over." Javed pointed out, much to Jack's displeasure.

Taking his sword off his shoulder, Jack turned to him with a questioning gaze, "And what does that mean?"

Javed laughed, "You might have Artorias' appearance and maybe his power, but you lack two very important things that could make you a powerful foe."

"And that would be?"

Producing a small smirk, the Undead reached for and unsheathed his sword. Then, the knight turned to Jack with his shield in his arm and sword in the other, pointing the blade directly at the boy, "His skill and experience in battle."

"In all his years, Artorias was a warrior with barely an equal. And when I fought him, he was nothing but a shell of himself with a broken arm and a animal's mind." Javed explained, "But you are just a boy in his youth, one who needed to have me save you from even the most fragile hollow. Its actually quite pathetic really."

Leaning forward, Javed poked Jack in the chest slightly, earning a small 'ding' due to his sword touching the boy's metal breastplate, "If you really intend to survive in this land, fighting is something you absolutely need. To survive, you must learn to kill."

Batting the sword away, Jack sent the man a odd look. What the hell was this guy getting at?

"Now," the Chosen undead stepped back for a moment and raised both his shield and sword upward, "Show me if you even have the capabilities required to use that blade in your hand. Show me that it can be more than a simple piece of metal while in your hands."

But, despite the man's willingness to fight, Jack was not on the same boat as him. Hell, if anything he was on the boat opposite of him, clear opposite of him. They were allies in this, right? So why in the heck would they fight? He could understand that he wanted to see what Jack could do, but his is a bit overboard. With his new stature and strength (which he hadn't actually gotten a chance to test yet), he didn't want to harm his friend so easily.

"Come on then," Javed mused, "Have at it will you?"

Letting out a sigh, Jack shook his head at the man, "Javed, lets not-"

A flash of light and a bit of footwork quickly made Jack silence himself. Stepping backwards, the boy just barely ducked out of the way as a bladed tip of a sword nearly left a large gash on his torso. Looking toward the source of it, Jack quickly found it. Javed was pressing him, sword swinging like a devil, moving like a warrior that lived through a hundred battles. And even though Jack couldn't see his face, he could tell that the man was serious...dead serious.

"Hold it, one damn-" he tried to yell at the man, but couldn't. All he could do was either back away from his attacks or block them with his shield. Luckily for Jack though, his shield was far large enough to keep him safe from anything Javed could have done, for now at least.

"Stop for one damn min-"

But as the Chosen Undead lunged at him, his sword nearly impaling Jack in the stomach, the boy decided that he couldn't just dodge. He had to fight back, even if he didn't want to.

So with sword in hand, Jack waited until Javed's next swing bounced off his shield to make his first move. And when that happened, Jack lifted his massive Greatsword and sung it through the air with a sizable amount of strength behind it. He didn't put everything into the swing (he didn't want to kill the man, undead or not), but he wasn't going to run away from the entire fight.

But, what effort he had put into his swing was evidently enough proof for that regard.

Javed, being the more skilled of the two, was easily able to get his own shield up in time to deflect Jack's assault. After all, he had fought much more dangerous foes in the past. But, that doesn't mean that the attack hadn't left its mark on him. In fact, Javed could barely feel his arm after Jack's sword bounced off his shield. It was numb, throbbing like a bell being rang. Jack might have put much of his strength into that swing, but it was something to be sure.

However, this is what Javed had expected.

Planting himself firmly on the ground with one leg behind him and one in front, the Chosen Undead let loose a rather pathetic swing of his sword. It looked far too suspicious for someone with some actual fighting experience but Jack wasn't one of those people. So after blocking such a weak move, Jack responded with his own. His swing was large and open, aiming to bash Javed in the side with the side of his Greatsword. But once again, this was what Javed had expected of him.

Using his stance to support himself in this action, the Chosen Undead actually met Jack's sword with his shield in a powerful smack. By pushing himself forward and swinging his shield arm, the man actually knocked Jack's sword away in a powerful push.

It was so powerful in fact that it sent Jack's arm flying to the side despite the boy's best efforts. And while he tried to correct this. Jack was wide open...something Javed quickly took advantage of.

Stepping forward, the Undead quickly closed the distance between the two of them and then shoved his sword forward with a thrust. He didn't aim for Jack's torso or lower body however. No, Javed's sword stopped right before it reached the boy's neck, the blade just barely touching his skin.

Resisting the urge to gulp, Jack looked down at this opponent. He was completely stuck. Any wrong movement and his neck would have one big hole in it.

"While a good effort, you're skills are very lacking." Javed informed him, "Artorias, even at his worse, applied all of his strength in every swing. Even in his crazed state, he sent me flying multiple times with attacks like the ones you used. However, that was because he knew not to give his foe any room to breath."

"And," Javed stood upward from his combat stance. "He never would have allowed himself to be taken advantage of...like so."

Ever so slightly, the man poked his sword's tip into Jack's neck. It wasn't painful of course and didn't even break skin, but the point was still made.

"He would have tried to bash my head open with his shield or simply rolled out of the way, not just stand there like a gaping fish." the Chosen Undead told the boy, sounding like a disappointed teacher more than a actual knight.

Still, Javed's relaxed a bit after that and let his sword fall from Jack's neck, "You have promise. Given time and more experience and I'm sure you'll be able to make something of yourself, maybe even become a knight yourself."

Letting Jack have a moment to calm himself down, the Chosen Undead patted the boy on the shoulder and walked past him, "Eventually, anyway."

With his gaze following the knight, Jack watched as his ally made his way into the side entrance of the complex, the same one they had used earlier so to avoid some nasty looking hollows.

"Come on then," Javed called out to him, "Let us return and plan your next move, time is wasting!"

Quickly leaving Jack's sight, the boy in question let out an annoyed sigh. Letting his shoulders sag just a tad, Jack tightened his grip on his sword.

"I'm going to bash his head in one of these days..."

* * *

><p><em>Later...<em>

* * *

><p>"This is a horrible idea..."<p>

Those words were echoing though the area as Jack spoke them, bouncing off the valley he stood above. For instead of being back at Fire-Link shrine, Jack found himself somewhere completely different. Instead of the aged ruins of Fire-Link, Jack was currently standing in the middle of a lush, jungle-like area with trees, plants, and moss covering everything.

And what was so horrible about all of this? Well, it wasn't the area itself. Not at all, Jack actually liked it. It held a bit of peace in comparison to the Undead Parish or Undead Berg. Sure, it was a bit humid due to his armor and a bit foggy but other than that, it was quite enjoyable.

But no, its was the giant gorge he was staring into that was a bit...off putting to the boy. It was huge, it was dark, it felt like he was staring into a void. It made some shivers go up his spine...

Especially since he had been told that he had to climb down the gorge using a small cliff side...

"This is just...the worst idea ever."

And honestly, Jack couldn't help but think back to who had thought this was a good idea in the first place.

* * *

><p><em>Earlier, Fire-Link Shrine.<em>

* * *

><p><em>"You...want me to what?"<em>

_After making their way back to the place where their journey began, Jack and the Chosen Undead had taken a moment to rest up. That meant Jack sat down by the fire so he could rest his legs for a moment while Javed sorted through some items he had collected from the Undead corpses they had passed by while on the move._

_Upon arriving though, Jack was surprised and sadden to see one of that Siegmeyer was gone. Upon asking about him though, the Crestfallen warrior simply shook his head. He claimed that the 'foolish' knight had taken off for another adventure, picking to head 'below' instead of 'above' this time._

_Javed explained that the 'above' was actually a massive city called Ano Londo that was set high above them on the mountain side. But for the 'below', Jack got no answers. However, the boy just hoped he would be able to see the man again at some point. He seemed more than friendly enough, and for a land like Lordran...that was something to be treasured._

_That aside however, the two reluctant warriors still took their moment of peace n stride. They wanted to enjoy it as long as they could..._

_And they did...until the Chosen Undead had an idea._

_"I am simply suggesting that you return to where I had discovered you." Javed told the boy,_

_Jack signed, resting his chin on his sword's handle, "And I get that, but...what is that going to do to help?"_

_The Chosen Undead had already told the group about how he found Jack in the Darkroot Basin, how could going there actually help him? Did Javed think that there would be something down there that Jack could find? Something that he missed or might not have been able to find regardless? While that was a nice thought, Jack didn't think so._

_"It is more of a clue than what we have at the moment boy," the Undead reasoned, "At the moment, we have no path to take, no guides to follow. Perhaps returning to where everything began might open up a new path for you, something that just sitting here will not acomplish."_

_Once again, Jack could see the logic in that...but he was still a bit unsure._

_"Just try it son," Javed tried to convince the boy, "I had already taken care of the Hydra that had take up residence there, and anything else that you might find should be more than worthy of your expertise."_

_For some reason though, Jack doubted that._

_But...where else could he go? There wasn't anywhere else Jack could think of and the place Javed spoke of was where he had been found orignally. Maybe there was some connection to his sudden appearance in that location and what might have brought him into this Lordran? Sure, he had no idea what that might be...but hey, it was worth a shot at least._

_Besides, how bad could it be?_

* * *

><p><em>Present time, Dark-Root Basin:<em>

* * *

><p>It...was much worse actually, for several reasons.<em><br>_

For one, Jack found himself alone...just, alone. Sure, Javed had walked with Jack and showed him the path to this location, but thats it. After taking the lift back up to the Undead Parish, the two had made their way over to a tower that was located right next to where the pair had fought three hollows for the first time. And upon walking down the ruined Tower (passing another bonfire in the process), Javed eventually lead Jack to a new face face.

It was a massive man with long white hair and giant beard. And while Jack was still much taller than him, this man was physically fit to the point where Jack nearly winced while looking at him. Still, being a blacksmith called for such a thing.

Introducing each other, the man revealed himself to be Andre of Astora.

That caught Jack off guard due to that being the same place Solaire was from, but he didn't mention it. However, it was at this point where the man had mentioned helping Jack out if he could...with a price of course.

But without any money, Jack turned the man down. Besides, that wasn't why there were there anyway.

What they were there for was a doorway just across from the Blacksmith. It led to a massive broken room where Javed spoke of fighting a massive demon earlier in his quest. Such a tale made Jack glad that he had missed out on this fight...it didn't sound pleasant.

Pushing on past that however, the boy and knight soon found themselves in a completely new area. It was filled with large vegetation and trees, something Jack hadn't seen yet in Lordran. In fact, the place was so different that Jack had thought that they had been transported somewhere else. But looking upward, such a thought was quickly tossed to the side. They were simply in a lower section of the area, a more wooden and natural area, far away from the massive stone buildings of the Undead Parish.

However, before the two could make their way into the forest area (which reminded Jack far too much of another forest he had been in with a giant robotic Spider-femme), Javed stopped them.

Jack should have known that this was going to happen, but Javed told him that he had to depart. He had his own mission to complete and he had taken off too much time from his own goals. He wanted to help Jack for sure, but he couldn't abandon his goal...abandon the people he fought for, their memories and their spirits.

He had a mission, just like Jack did...and he couldn't abandon it, not when the threat of hollowing still loomed over him.

However, he wouldn't just leave Jack without at least leaving him with something to help on his journey. Even if their journeys didn't correspond with each other, he could at least do one thing to assist Jack in the trials ahead.

* * *

><p><em>"Watch for my summoning sign, watch for my mark." Javed told him, holding his hand in a death grip as he did so.<em>

_"I will fight with you, I will fight to get you home. Don't forget that."_

* * *

><p>The wonders of Lordran's fluid time stream...<p>

Handing Jack something called a 'Divine Blessing', the Chosen Undead wished him luck before he departed. Looking at the strange flask that he had been given, Jack could only wonder what it was for.

But that aside, the boy understood why the man had left. He couldn't force the Chosen Undead to help him and while he wished he could have some help, this was Jack's mission and his alone.

Now, if only the damn plants could keep from attacking him...things might have been a bit easier.

That was the second thing that Jack hated about all of this. Just moments after he had entered the forest, alone for the second time he had been in Lordran, something had walked out of the wooded area and attacked him. But, instead of a hollowed solder...it was a gigantic plant.

"...what?" Jack mumbled, watching as the strange plant lumbered over toward him.

Well, it was technically more than a plant. It was closer to a walking bush or tree, with clumps of grass and leafs holding it together along with twigs and branches. Still, despite that fragile appearance, the creature somehow managed to rush Jack with a remarkable pace and attack with long whip-like arms. It seemed like something that defied logic, but then again, it wasn't the first to do so from Jack's perspective.

However, Jack wasn't going to take this lying down however.

His massive shield was more than enough to deflect such an attack and with one swing of his massive sword, he cleaved the creature in half.

Now, due to its inhuman appearance, Jack had no reason to hold back against the strange plant. Hollows were one thing, but this thing? Oh, it was just freaky enough for Jack not to care. And in turn, this resulted in his massive Greatsword easily cleaving the creature in two, crushing and slicing though the branches that made up its body.

Such a thing actually surprised Jack somewhat. This was the first time he had ever used his new form's strength in such a way, and considering that Jack could barely scratch a undead solder's armor before...well, this was a big improvement.

But once the two halves of the demonic foliage fell to the ground, Jack took a second look at the remains and wondered aloud...

"Did I just get attacked by a damn plant?"

He had been attacked by giant robots, undead humans, giant fire breathing dragons...but plants? Really? The vegetation around him was seriously trying to kill him now? This seemed almost to insane to believe. But, the two pieces of the previously hostile organic matter was proof enough of that.

"Okay..." he grimaced before carefully stepping over the plant's remains, "Just...gona leave you there and be on my way..."

Not even giving the foliage another look, Jack quickly moved onward toward the path he was given. It wasn't a far walk actually, but he did have to deal with another one of these 'Plant' creatures on the way. It was like it just sprouted out of the ground...and considering that it was a plant, that was entirely possible.

It just met the same fate as its predecessor however, cleaved in two with no real effort on Jack's part. Really, he was starting to wish that creatures like this could be his main obstacle on his journey. Destroying some odd plants would have been much easier to deal with than rotting human remains. But, Jack was never that lucky to begin with.

If he was lucky, he wouldn't be in this place at all.

Such lack of luck was proven right after that unfortunately, as Jack then found himself at the third and arguably, most frustrating part of the entire ordeal. Worse than being left alone in this strange place and worse than the evil attacking plants...

The Giant Gorge that was suppose to lead him to where The Chosen Undead had found him.

He had found it on a separate path to the right of the main one, and upon looking at it Jack nearly fell on his behind. It was just a massive void, he couldn't even see the bottom...

...and he was meant to climb down it?

"This...is the most moronic thing I've ever done." Jack muttered...

"Okay, second most moronic thing."

The first was actually agreeing to go to the Autobot's base back during that fateful day after school. Anyone with even a bit of brains would have refused on the spot. But Jack? Nope, he agreed despite what would happen later on in his life.

However, anyone else would have regretted those actions if they were in his position now. But Jack? Now, he would never do that.

"Well," he sighed, "I've never been that much of a decision maker anyway."

He was just concerned with not making a even worse decision the next time around.

With that said however, after taking a deep breath, Jack started on the long and narrow (to him anyway, anyone normal sized wouldn't have been as bothered as he was) pathway down the side of the gorge. And just like the rest of the Darkroot Garden, Jack found the pathway down the cliff-side just as damp and moss covered as the forest behind him.

It was a careful and slow march for the boy, as he determined to NOT slip and fall to his demise. And due to how damp and humid the entire pathway was, it was a scenario that could have easily occurred if one was in too much of a hurry. One wrong step and he could easily find himself as a messy splat at the bottom of the gorge.

So to avoid that, Jack made certain to watch every single step he took as he walked down the path to the Basin below. The cliff-side was filled with arching paths that could take him to a dead end, but luckily Jack manged to avoid nearly all of them. He even took his hood off in case it messed with his vision, letting the humid air blow through his hair.

On his way down however, he did notice some strange things. Such as some corpses and some very strange lizard-like creature.

"Does that thing have a giant rock growing out of its back?"

Lordran was getting weirder and weirder in his opinion.

Hell, if he wasn't so nervous at the moment, Jack might have cracked a joke about it. Even if it would have only helped his mood.

But there was something about this place that was giving him chills, and it wasn't the climb down the gorge that was doing it. While he felt a bit of peace when he first entered the area, once Jack had started to climb down this gorge...something changed. Any peace the wilderness had given him had quickly shifted into a dark, ominous whisper.

Something had happened in this place, this Darkroot forest...and while Jack had no idea what, he had a feeling that he didn't want to find out.

And he didn't, or at least not yet. Instead, Jack focused back on the task at hand until he reached what looked like the bottom of the cliff-side. It opened up into two distinct paths, one that went to the left and led to larger areas with trees while the other was a path that led deeper into the gorge.

Deeper into the gorge...

"Yeah, I think not." Jack mumbled, having taken only around a second or two for him to decide where he would go.

Turning his back on the other path, Jack started to make his way toward the opening in the canyon. He wanted to get away from the cliff-side as soon as he could. His giant armored body didn't make small pathways seem any more reassuring than they already were.

Upon walking away from the cliff-side however, Jack was forced to stop in his tracks.

During the entire way down the cliff, Jack had not heard a single thing. Sure, there had been a few bugs flying around and maybe even some crickets...but other then that it was silent.

So, hearing the sound of metal moving behind him was...disconcerting.

Tightening his hand around his sword, Jack let loose a small sigh. There was something behind him, something he didn't really didn't want to face.

Putting his hood over his head, Jack turned to face whatever was approaching him. But due to the mist and the darkness that filled the basin around him, Jack could barely see whatever was walking toward him. What he could see however was big, almost as big as he was. It was also carrying something too, something in both of its hands.

Sword and shield ready, Jack stepped forward in preparation. He might not know what the creature was, but he wouldn't face it without a fight.

Metal boots meeting dirt, Jack watched as the figure grew ever closer. It pushed through the darkness and then through the mist, eventually revealing itself to Jack in its full glory.

Massive in height and a humanoid figure, the new arrival was nearly Jack's height in his current form.

Armor covering it from head to toe, the figure took the form of a massive knight of some kind. It was surely different from anything Jack had seen in Lordran so far (besides his own appearance at least). With armor so sophisticated and detailed, it lacked all the decay the hollows before it had been covered in. The only noticeable blemish it had was its covering, a pitch black material. But it wasn't normal, the armor wasn't suppose to be like that.

It was almost as if it was scotched, burned and covered in soot...

Two massive horns sprouting from its helmet, Jack inched backwards as the knight continued to walk toward him. It was silent and had a dominating aura around it, one that smelled remarkably like fire...and death.

In one hand was a impressive looking shield, stained black just like the knight's armor was. And occupying the knight's other hand was a massive spear-like weapon, a halberd that would have looked far too large for anyone else. A intimidating weapon to be sure.

However, as the knight neared him, Jack noticed something quite surprising.

It hadn't attacked him yet!

Everything so far, undead and otherwise had attacked him on sight. It was like it was built into their systems, a need to kill. The only ones who hadn't was people like Javed, Undead who had not yet hollowed. But this knight, he hadn't either. It was just calmly approaching him at a steady pace.

"Hey!...Hey man, can you understand me?"Jack tried to communicate with the knight. Maybe it wasn't a hollow, maybe it could understand him! It was unlikely, but considering his record with the armored knight-like people so far (Siegmeyer, Javed, Solaire), Jack was willing to take the chance.

Then, much to Jack's shock, the knight stopped in its tracks and looked at him...maybe it had understood him?

Taking a deep breath, Jack lowered his sword and put his shield on the ground. If he was less threatening looking, then maybe the knight would follow his lead and put its weapons away too. It was worth a shot anyway.

"My...my name is Jack," he introduced himself to the silent knight, "Just...heading toward the lake for a bit...w-what about you?"

With the knight still not saying a word, Jack gulped at the tense situation. Any wrong move and the knight might burst into action, "You heading there too?"

Pointing over to his destination, Jack watched as the knight followed his notion before looking back towards him.

"Ma-maybe we can walk there together if...if you want..." he stumbled with his words, hoping to get out of this situation without any blood being drawn.

But...it was not to be.

Whether if it was the question or just some kind of delay, the knight finally started to move again. It still didn't say anything of course. Instead, it took one step forward...and stabbed its halberd right at Jack's torso, aiming to impale the boy on his weapon.

A yelp escaped Jack as he rolled out of the way with a small gash now adorning his torso. If he hadn't been so cautious around the knight, Jack might have been turned into a shish-kabob instead.

_'Shit...'_ he mumbled inwardly, holding onto his Greatsword.

Swinging the massive weapon over its head, the knight lashed out while rushing forward. Slashing to the side, upward, and even stabbing forward, the knight was acting like a truly fearsome warrior. Jack could barely deflect the weapon with his own, wishing that he still had his shield in his possession. The knight was fast, faster than any monster he had faced before...which wasn't saying much admittedly.

_'I go from plants to this!? A bit of a jump...'_ Jack inwardly mumbled.

Still, it was still a damn monster when all things were considered. It was fast, it was strong, and it had a skill that the mindless swarms of hollows lacked. Hell, Jack nearly fell on his side when the Knight bashed away one of his counterattacks and struck him across the face with its shield.

"Agh!" he yelled, his jaw nearly cracking under the force of the blow.

Tasting blood in his mouth, Jack rolled through the momentum and slashed upward at the aggressive knight. This was for naught however, as the knight simply side stepped his attack, leaving the boy defenseless a for a split second.

With a growl, Jack bit back a scream when the knight then followed up with a painful slash to his shoulder. He wasn't getting anywhere in this fight. Every swing he made with his sword was either blocked by the knight's smaller shield or dodged with hop to the side. It was just as big as he was and yet nimble to boot, something Jack had not seen before in the little time he actually had in combat.

"Damn," he cursed, watching as the knight continued to press him, "Damn, damn, damn..."

A downward slash was the knight's next move, one Jack smacked away just before it split his head in two along with the rest of him. Recovering, the knight tried again with a slash aimed at Jack's torso. However just like before, Jack met it with an equal force, causing a slight stand still.

The sword and halberd met with a thunderous clatter, the two pieces of killing steel fighting back against each other just like their owners were.

"Damn...it!"

Struggling with the pressure for a moment or two, Jack let loose a yell before forcing both their weapons to his side and into the dirt. Doing this however led to both weapons being buried in the ground for a moment or two, leaving the two combatants bare handed.

Its weapon occupied, the knight took the chance and swung its shield at Jack in response. However, the boy saw that coming due to the repetitive nature of the knight's tactics. Whenever its weapon was occupied due to either blocking or deflecting a attack, it tried to catch him off guard with its shield arm.

So knowing that, Jack ducked out of the way and delivered his own punch to the knight's helmet. It hurt like hell of course (hell, his fingers might have cracked when he did so), but it was enough to stagger the knight back for a moment or two.

This however, was just what Jack needed.

Pulling his sword free of the ground, Jack bent his knees before launching himself forward toward the knight. It was a boost he wasn't used to, but Jack really didn't care at the moment. It might have been due to his new body, but the speed Jack was propelled at was just enough to catch the knight off guard.

Sword in hand, Jack unleashed a powerful slash against the staggered knight. It might have been able to get its shield up in time, but Jack's swing was still enough to force the knight backward once again. In fact, it was just powerful enough to knock the knight backwards into the cliff's side, its back colliding with the rocks in a surprised turn of events.

Watching the Knight stagger and try to regain its balance, Jack knew he had a chance. He could easily have just taken this as a chance to run, to make a dash to safety. Even so however, something with Jack had been stirred. He wasn't sure what, but he wasn't finished yet. A sudden force had exploded within him, a rage at the knight in front of him. It was dark, it was furious, it wanted to kill. He wanted to defeat it, to crush it...even though he had no idea why.

_'I'll bring you down, you son of a bitch!'_

Two handing the massive Greatsword, the teen rushed forward and stabbed at the knight once again. However, the knight had no chance to defend itself this time and as a result, was impaled right through the stomach with a sickening crunch. Blood dripping down the sword's edge, the knight fidgeted for a moment before slumping over. Its weapons dropped to the ground, the knight growing still.

Then, with one strong thrust, Jack pulled the blade free and with one simple slash...beheaded the knight on the spot.

With the head rolling off to the side, Jacks stood there in silence. He had won, he had defeated it...he had...

Blood was dripping off his sword, but that was all the movement the boy was making at the moment. Instead, all of his focus was on the still standing corpse in front of him. His eyes frozen at the sight of the carnage he had created.

He...decapitated it...

He...cut its head off...

...he killed it...

Arms going limp, Jack started to back away as the Knight finally fell to its knees before collapsing to the ground. From then on, the knight was still, not moving an inch. It was dead, he was sure of it. And hell, if he wasn't...than the blood dripping from the stump of its neck was surely enough evidence otherwise.

Walking backwards still, Jack only came to a stop when he felt a cold stone surface collide with his back. Letting himself slide down towards the ground, Jack released his sword and removed his hood once again.

He was exhausted, he was tired...and he just killed something. The first real kill he had in this land and in his life.

_'What...what did I just do?'_

Sure, he might have kicked a Undead or two off the bridge back in the Undead Parish. He might have knocked another hollow into a flaming pile of corpses too. But never had he done something like this. He impaled that creature on his sword and then sliced its head off like a fish. That wasn't self defense, that was just plain murder.

_'What did I do!?'_

This land was tough, it was punishing for sure...but that? That wasn't Jack.

At least, he didn't think so.

So, the boy just sat there, staring up at the sky as minutes pasted. He didn't even notice when the Knight's body collapsed into a pile of ash or the wounds he had. No, all Jack could focus on was the blood on his hands, the darkened sky above him...

And the darkness that surrounded him so.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Notes:<em>

_Pretty bummer ending for this one right? Well, thats what happens when someone violently kills something for the first time...they might not be able to handle it all that well._

_I had to get rid of Javed eventually. He does have his own stuff to be doing and he isn't a 'Golden' hero, so he wouldn't completely abandon his goal to help Jack. Still, he did provide Jack with something that could help and killed most of the dangers of the Darkroot Basin...most of them anyway._

_Why did the Black Knight approach Jack? Why did it wait before attacking him? What came over Jack and allowed him to kill it? Well, the answer is actually all the same if you believe that, but I won't reveal it until later._

_Also. Please remember, Jack is still getting used to his new form. So don't expect him to be jumping around like Artorias...yet. That will come sooner rather then later, but for the moment he is still more used to being completely human...even if some inhuman abilities do pop up randomly at points._

_RxR please! I would like to see your comments!_


	7. Hunters of the Woods

_Chapter 6: Hunters of the Woods._

* * *

><p><em>Lower Darkroot Basin:<em>

* * *

><p>Pain.<p>

It was something that Jack was growing used to.

And not just the physical pain, although that was growing to be a problem too. But at least that was manageable. A little dab of...whatever Javed had given him, and Jack was good as new really. But other than that, there was a much worse pain that Jack was experiencing.

Pain of the mind, for what he had done. After all, how does one react to violently beheading someone, even if they were trying to kill you first?

For Jack, it wasn't well.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Murderer<strong>_

_**Killer**_

_**Bain of the dark**_

* * *

><p>Ignoring these words grew to be a problem for the young teen.<p>

Jack dragged his feet through the dirt, his mind clouded with the memories at what he had done. The path to the location where Javed had discovered him was drawing near. A possible explanation for Jack being in the land was so close that the teen could nearly taste it. The Darkroot Basin, where it all had begun apparently.

But part of Jack couldn't find himself caring all that much about it. Instead, he was more concerned with what just happened. Why he did what he did…and what came over him. Where had that strength come from? Why did he attack so furiously? Why did he kill that Black Knight like that? He felt like a monster when he had done that...

'_I'm…I'm not like that.'_ he reasoned with himself.

And really, that's what Jack believed. He wasn't violent, at least only as much as a normal teenager should be. He could appreciate a game simulating such violence, but never actively acting on it. Hell, he was the one who normally tried to stay out of the way when it came to stuff like that. Why else would he constantly run after Miko (besides the fact he didn't want to see her hurt) when she followed the Autobots?

_'She'd get herself killed sooner or later...'_

That made Jack shiver. She would get hurt for sure, but death? He never liked to consider that outcome...

So why? Why did he do that? What was that rage he had? It wasn't his own, thats for sure. But if that was the case...

...than what was it?

Did it had to do with his transformation? That 'Soul' that he had been holding? The 'Soul of Artorias' as Javed called it. Had it affected him in some way? The fight with the knight was his first strainious activity that Jack had done since his transformation, so maybe the effects were delayed or something...

These were questions that echoed through his mind. Jack felt as if he had the answers but they wouldn't reveal themselves. It was like the answers were locked in his mind along with his memories. For whatever reason, he was in the dark...

* * *

><p><strong>Dark...<strong>

**Darkness...**

**An Everlasting Abyss...**

* * *

><p>This haunting feeling continued to follow him as the teen marched into an open field. There were a few trees in the distance and some strange crystal formations, but the field was empty besides that. No monsters, no undead, and nothing trying to kill him. It was something Jack appreciated...even if it left him alone with his own thoughts.<p>

The damn, disorienting thoughts...no wonder the undead were going hollow.

"Okay..." the touched his forehead, feeling a bit of sweat between his metal fingers, "I...I need to calm down...just calm down..."

Taking a deep breath, Jack continued to make his way forward until he felt his boots sink into a patch of mud. Looking down, the teen quickly found himself at a massive lake, dark water stretching into the distance. The water was so dark that Jack couldn't see even a few feet into the surface. It was like a black portal into a whole other world...

Suddenly, Jack had a much better time believing that there had been a Hydra living in that lake at one point.

Still, at least Jack had arrived. After a long climb down a cliff-side and a fairly traumatic battle with a Black Knight, Jack had arrived to where he had been seeking. The Darkroot Basin.

But upon looking around for a minute or two, the teen was shocked with what he had found. Or...with what he hadn't found.

The Basin was empty. There was nothing in sight that could help the teen with what he had came for. Why he was in the land, what had lead to his arrival, or why he had been found in that location to begin with. Hell, there wasn't even the remains of the 'suit' that the Chosen Undead had mentioned. The Basin lacked anything that could be of use to the young teen.

"Damn..." he cursed, the urge to drop to the ground and pound the dirt into dust swelling up inside.

Why had he come there!? What was the point if there wasn't anything there?! The entire place was empty! Just rocks, tress, a lake, and mud! Why was he there if it held no answers for him!?

More of these questions poured into Jack's mind, so much so that he just felt like...he needed a break from it all.

A break from a world that wanted him dead, from the questions and mysteries that plagued his mind. He needed a break from all of it.

So to get one, Jack slowly sat himself down on the muddy ground and just stared into the lake. His sword and shield were at his side, but the teen would much rather of just enjoyed the peace for the moment. It was something he hadn't been able to do all that much since he arrived in the chaotic world.

But even that was nearly impossible, as the sound of a nearby waterfall quickly shattered any peaceful thoughts Jack could come up with.

He growled, his hands twisting into fists, "You stupid little...!"

With a hateful gaze swelling up inside, Jack turned to glare at the waterfall in question. When his gaze fell on the waterfall however, the armored teen noticed something he hadn't before. It was a small wooden ladder to the right of the raging waterfall. Old it might have been, but the ladder looked sturdy enough from the distance he was at. And whats more, the ladder also went all the way up to the top of the waterfall itself too.

Jack eyebrows rose at the sight of such a thing, "Huh, didn't notice that before."

In fact, the boy wished he had noticed it earlier. By the look of things, the ladder seemed to lead to another path, one higher up and into the forest. But of course, this brought forth a choice in Jack's mind.

He had no idea what was up there. There could be more monsters, more creatures that wanted him dead, or even worse, just more nothing. Nothing that could help him at all. Just a big waste of time.

Although...

"Screw it." he mumbled, sitting up from the muddy ground, "Beats staying here and getting my pants all wet."

In Jack's mind, anything was better than just sitting there and getting nothing done. He didn't have the luxury for that. The Darkroot Basin was a dead end for the teen, he couldn't see anything in the Basin that could help him. So, he was going to take a chance with wherever the ladder was going to take him.

Taking his sword and shield in his hands, Jack made his way over to the ladder, even if it meant walking through the lake in the process. But upon reaching the ladder, Jack hit a snag in his plan.

The ladder was too small for him. Or to be more precise...he was too big for it.

Ever since he had been transformed into the splitting image of 'Artorias', Jack had found a particular problem following him around. He had grown much too large for most common things. Doors were too small, his feet could barely fit on a staircase, and his hands were too big for most average things besides his sword and shield.

It was something he had once wondered about when it concerned the Autobots. How were they able to deal with Earth if everything was too small for them? It was why they had to hide as cars instead of actual people, they were far too big. It was even why Arcee could never come inside Jack's house even after his mother learned about her, she wouldn't fit. It was a common trait for all the bots, and now the same applied to him.

"Huh, so this is what it feels like." he mumbled, holding new sympathy for his friends.

Still, the issue of how to proceed still lingered on. Jack approached the ladder and gave it a tug, seeing if it was even stable and was happy to see that it was to a point. But could he climb it?

After letting out a sigh, the boy decided to find out.

Placing his weapons on his back, Jack took hold of the wooden ladder and started his slow climb to whatever was beyond the waterfall. But of course, the climb was a tough one. At any time, the ladder could collapse under his weight. He had to be careful, listening for any sudden sounds that could lead to him falling to his doom.

_'Who would have thought...I could die...from a damn ladder!?'_ he inwardly mumbled, not daring to tempt fate in person.

Even with that in mind however, Jack's climb went on without delay for the first few minutes. The ladder held tight and showed no weakness at all. In fact, it looked as if the teen would make it to the top with no problem.

**-Creak-**

Jack froze, his heart skipping a beat. He had not heard that. It had to be his mind playing tricks on him.

**-Creak-**

A bead of sweat dripped Down Jack's forehead, "Oh no..."

The ladder finally seemed to be straining from his added bulk. And if he didn't move post haste, Jack had a feeling that he would be taking quite a fall very soon.

"Stupid ladder!" he growled.

The teen looked upward, noticing how close he was to the top of the cliff. If he could jump it, he could he safe...he could make it to safety before the ladder gave out on him. It was a long shot, but Jack had a feeling that going down was going to be a painful experience if he didn't act imminently.

So before the ladder collapsed from under his feet, Jack took a deep breath. He could feel the ladder creak from under his feet...

"Okay..." he muttered, his hands tightening, "Just one good jump...just one..."

This could either end horribly for the teen, or save his ass. Either way, Jack had to act fast.

So when the ladder made one more audible creak, Jack took a leap of faith...and sailed far higher than he had expected to.

"Holy!" he shouted, jettisoning himself through the air, flying up to the top of the ladder and onto the cliff above him. His surprised was only cut short when he landed face first into the grassy ground, sitting there for a moment while he realized what had happened.

Spitting the dirt out of his mouth, Jack turned back and gazed down back at the basin below him. The distance from where he sat and the ground was...rather far and yet, Jack had jumped a long portion of that distance.

"Maybe..." Jack summered, "Maybe I don't know my own strength?"

It made sense in a way. While in Jack's new body, he had beheaded a Black Knight and cut down several planet creatures with little effort beforehand, so maybe he just wasn't used to his body's capabilities yet.

Jack frowned, "I don't know my own body...great, and here I thought I was past all of that."

With such a ordeal over with, Jack continued on his way. As such, the teen found himself walking over an old bridge (being fairly careful in case it was as sturdy as the ladder had been), making his way around the remains of a stone tower, and up yet another (and thankfully shorter) ladder.

But once all of that had been out of the way, Jack once again found himself at a crossroads. After climbing up what would hopefully be his last ladder for quite some time, Jack found two paths in front of him. One of which to his left that led up into a new section of the forest, and one right in front of him and that would take him across an old bridge into oddly placed field.

And while the field looked nice, Jack chose to go with the path that didn't force him to walk over a rather…unsettling bridge. Less chances of falling to his death that way, and to add to that unsettling feeling, when Jack looked in the direction of field, he could have sworn that he saw something in the shadows...waiting for him.

It was spine tingling. He could even swear that there were three pairs of eyes staring at him from a distance…

"That's…creepy as all hell…" he mumbled.

Back facing the bridge, Jack quickly chose to take the path to his left. He didn't want or even felt up for dealing with whatever was over there. Hell, he didn't even want to know what was over there.

Walking up the path however, Jack noticed how the pathway was aged quite a bit. Beyond the moss and grass; he noticed the signs of a dirt path…one that had been aged into near nonexistence due to many uses and time itself. But that lead the question, what used to be here? It looked like an old forest, but for some reason Jack thought it might have been…more…at some point.

It reminded him of Cybertron actually. The memories of the once great home-world of his alien friends filled his tired head. How Arcee considered the idea of seeing her home in its livelihood again. And of course, how time and war had destroyed the once might planet, leaving it as a shell itself.

Time was a sad mistress. But the question was still.

"What…was this place?"

He had heard tales about the past from Javed, but they had just been about this 'Artorias' character that Jack had taken the form of. The Chosen Undead had told him that hundreds of years had passed since the time of his legends. What else could have been around at that time? What had the Darkroot Basin been back then?

It was a question Jack normally wouldn't have cared about, but it was a nice way to get his mind off a…recent action of his.

That was until he heard the sound of something rustling the bushes. Or to be more specific, the bushes themselves were rustling.

Looking around, Jack let out a tired sigh. The Demonic foliage, the plant creatures that had attacked him when he first entered this place were back. And what's worse, there was a noticeable increase in their numbers this time. Instead of just one or two, there were at least five or eight of them and they were all running towards Jack with the intent to kill him violently.

Of course, what else is new?

Letting out a tired sigh, Jack drew his sword and waited for them to approach. They were actually quite fast despite being plants, so he wasn't forced to wait that long. And when they did reach him, every single plant dove at Jack in a frenzy…

…a frenzy that was quickly ended once Jack sliced three of them in half with one good swing of his sword.

After the incident with the Black Knight, his lack of results in the Basin, and nearly falling to his death because of a damn ladder of all things, Jack was more than a bit irritated. It was like the world around him was just eager to mess with him, something Jack was quickly growing tired of. So upon finding these creatures, all who were eager to attack him, Jack found a nice opportunity to relieve some of the stress that had been building up for quite some time.

If they were willing to just throw themselves at him like this, than he was more than happy to return the favor.

Gripping his massive Greatsword, Jack held nothing back against the Demonic foliage. He slashed some of them into pieces, batted others away with his shield, and even tore them apart with his bare hands when they got too close. It was almost child's play, something that Jack...well, wasn't too comfortable with.

The presence that had taken hold of Jack in his previous fight with the Black Knight had returned, although not as greatly. But, it was still there, just below the surface of Jack's skin. He could feel it as he cut one of the creatures in half, as he beheaded one of the monsters, and Jack could even feel it as he crushed the branches beneath his feet.. It was like he was a puppet, with another force pulling his strings as he cut down the numerous shrub-ish creatures.

Finishing off the last of them with a crushing stab from above, Jack felt his arms slump. With all the monsters dead at his feet, the teen felt the presence leave him again. It was just as a before, leaving just as the fight ended. And while there wasn't a headless corpse in front of Jack this time...the fact that he had utterly demolished these creatures was...

...unsettling.

"I...I don't like this..."

Shaking his head, Jack pushed those thoughts aside and looked back to the path ahead of him. If this was what the welcoming party was like, what could the rest of the forest hold for him?

"Well," he sighed before moving forward, "Guess I'll just have to find out then..."

The sounds of twigs snapping and leaves being crushed underneath his boots followed Jack as he made his way into the dark forest. The trees were close together and a light fog filled the dense woods. All the while however, Jack couldn't help but compare his situation to his friend's again. Or more so, their height problems.

Why was he doing this? Well, it was simple.

Jack had grown so tall that even while walking through the forest was a pain. He had to duck under nearly everything he came across or else he would have to deal with a branch smacking him in the face.

**-Thwack-**

"Seriously! Who can deal with being this tall!?"

It was a subject that was really getting on Jack's nerves. Even Arcee didn't have to deal with this when they were in that old forest! The trees were large enough for even her to calmly walk through the forest without-

**-Thwack-**

-that happening.

With one of Jack's eyes twitching underneath his hood, the teen reached up and tore the offending branch from its source. He was getting irritated and real fast. Slowly, Jack was even wishing that he had more of those shrub creatures around so he could take his rage out on them.

**-Crack-**

But the sound of a twig snapping did take Jack's attention away from his height problems. Turning around with his weapons ready, Jack spotted a figure walking out from the mist and toward him.

Instead of another plant monster however, Jack quickly noticed that it was another human...hopefully.

Whoever it was, the figure stood around a average height and was covered in armor that highly reminded Jack of Javed's own armor (but more heavily armored). It appeared to be a man with a sword and a shield within both of his hands. But of the two the sword was the more noticeable one, as the blade was massive even for normal standards. The blade was thin and long, but the guard was more of a upside down arrow if anything. The man even had to rest it on his shoulders, it was that big.

Jack tried not to seem intimidated however. In fact, the merely pulled his sword from his back and prepared himself. So far, the woods had proven to be quite dangerous and another hollow wasn't going to stop him, even if it looked more intimidating than the others he had seen.

So when the armored hollow charged Jack, the teen was rather light on his feet as the dodged every swipe the knight took at him. Due to the massive weapon it was using, the hollow's attacks were slow and predictable. But even Jack knew not to take it any less seriously because of that, for one strike could mean his end.

But when Jack lashed out with one of his own swipes, he smashed his sword against the knight's shield and knocked the smaller figure back and into a tree with a powerful thud. It wasn't enough to stop the knight, but Jack was surprised when the knight pushed himself off the tree...

"Damn...damn it!"

And speak.

Instantly, Jack lowered his weapon in shock. If the knight could speak, then he wasn't hollow. Not even that Black Knight had spoken, and the only people that Jack knew who could speak weren't hollows, so...

The teen quickly raised his hand to stop the knight, "W-wait! You spoke, I heard it! Are...are you sane!?"

Hearing this, the knight stood still. For a brief moment, Jack thought the knight might actually calm down and put his weapon aside. Maybe Jack had met someone else he could talk to. Someone he didn't have to fight, someone he could converse with that didn't need violence.

These hopes were quickly dashed however once the knight launched into another attack. He let out a furious yell and swung his sword down at Jack but the teen easily dodged it with a jump to the side. But by this point, Jack's will to fight was all but gone.

How could he fight and kill someone who knew exactly what he was doing? He could have been undead, but if he killed him Jack might help the man hollow even faster! And if he wasn't a undead, then he would be killing a human! This wouldn't be self defense like with the hollows, it would be the Black Knight all over again!

Jack wasn't sure that he could do that again, "Hold on! I'm not a hollow! I don't want to hurt you!"

The Knight didn't respond, he only continued on with his assault, "Stop, damn it!"

No matter what he said, the Knight didn't react in the slightest. The pair were forced to continue their duel with the knight pressing his aggressive attack while Jack continued to defend himself. He never attacked the knight, but he wouldn't just stand there and let himself get cut down. Deflecting the knight's sword with his own, jumping backwards, or just side stepping the attacks, Jack did it all. But never once did he return the act of aggression.

"Just listen to me!" he tried once more to convince the Knight, "Why are you so damn obsessed with attacking me!?"

After slicing at Jack once more, the Knight spoke to him again, "You have disgraced these woods with your presence, and as its guardian, I will not let you pass!"

"What?!" Jack shouted in shock, "But its just a damn forest! Is it really worth killing me over!?"

Tossing his shield to the side, the Knight grabbed his claymore with both hands and tried to bisect Jack with a roar, "Quite so!"

The slice went too wide, just missing Jack's torso by a hair. But this quickly made something clear to Jack. Whatever reason this man had for attacking him, he wasn't about to stop because neither of them were hollow. Jack's mere presence was enraging him to the point of murder. Whatever the man felt about this forest, it was worth spilling blood over.

So Jack quickly went on to his back up plan.

Escaping.

"Not for me!" Jack yelled. Whatever this man believed in was defiantly NOT worth it for Jack.

Dodging yet another swipe from the knight, the teen did something he really wasn't known for. While the Knight was lifting his sword back up, Jack sprinted past the knight and shoved him to the ground. This gave the teen a good five or six second head start before the knight got up and charged after him. But for Jack, this was more than enough as he sprinted through the forest.

After of a good minute or two of running however, Jack was scared out of his wits when a arrow whizzed by his head and slammed into a tree.

"Holy-!" the teen shouted.

Stopping in his tracks, Jack looked over to his side. Standing there was someone else, a woman if Jack's eyes were truthful to him. And much to Jack's surprise, this woman wasn't hollow either, just like the knight. He could see her face and everything. But he also noticed a long bow in her hand, along with another air that was most likely meant for his head.

Without waiting for another near death experience, Jack too off once again in a dash. His height was making it hard for him to navigate the forest around him due to the constant amounts of branches smacking into his face, but that didn't stop him. Jack was determined to escape from the people who for some reason, wanted him dead.

_'Damn!'_ Jack cursed, so many questions were rushing through his mind as he tumbled away from his pursuers.

What did they consider so precious about this forest that it could justify his death? How many others had they killed in a similar situation as this? How many more of these people were there and were they all as threatening to outsides as the Knight and Archer were?

The latter question was quickly answered however, much to Jack's annoyance.

As he progressed through the forest, Jack was caught off guard as he nearly took a axe to his chest. After barely rolling out of the way of the sharp blade, the teen found himself face to face with yet another human. This one was wearing what appeared to be attire that fit more with a bandit than a knight along with a large axe in one hand and a red shield with a spider symbol on its front side in the other.

The man let out a growl and attacked Jack again, prompting the teen to quickly kick the man straight in the torso.

His sudden action caught the bandit off guard and launched him several feet into the air before crashing down to the ground below. Jack briefly watched as he clutched his torso in pain, the wind had been clearly knocked out of him. But Jack had no time to question the man, as the sounds of footsteps in the distance quickly warned the teen of his pursuers approaching.

So, Jack continued on his mad rush to safety, passing even more strange residents of the forest as he ran on. This included yet another knight and what appeared to be a cleric, both of which joined their friends in chasing down Jack for some odd reason. The Knight carried similar equipment to his brother in arms while the cleric had a mace that looked like it could crush a skull in one blow. Both of which, were more than enough motivation for Jack to keep running.

But even that would soon prove to be a limited escape plan.

Minutes of continued running quickly led Jack to an open field within the forest, one that presented the teen with a cliff-face in front of him and a lone path through what appeared to be a ruined tower to his right. Either path was limited (especially since the cliff was at least a hundred feet drop to nothing) and Jack found himself cornered by his pursuers within a matter of moments.

"Damn..." Jack muttered before turning to face the foes in front of him.

Despite his head start, the numerous figures who had been chasing Jack had quickly caught up to him. They seemed quite angry too (well, except the Bandit. He looked in quite a bit of pain, clutching his torso as he caught up with the others).

With their weapons drawn, Jack continued to back up in a attempt to escape them. But as he drew near to the broken building, Jack knew there was no escape for him. He would be forced to fight these people, even if it meant to the death...

A cold piece of metal suddenly touched the back of Jack's neck, just when he thought the group was going to attack him.

Turning just slight enough to look behind him, the teen felt a chill down down his spine as he saw yet another figure standing behind him. This one was far more armored than the others however, with a much more unique and sophisticated set of armor. In fact, his helmet even looked similar to a cage rather than an actual helmet. It gave the teen a rather Eastern feel to it, that it was even foreign in a place such as Lordran.

And the blade upon Jack's neck? Well, it looked like a giant machete or something. A tool that Jack...really didn't want anywhere near any vital part of his body.

But it was there, touching his neck through the cloth of his hood. Just one wrong move, and Jack could easily be missing his head.

The boy tightened his hand around his blade. If the man attacked, Jack would just have one chance to react. It was a small chance, but it was the only one he would have. But then, he would be forced to kill him. Jack had no idea how to disarm the man without cutting him down. He would have to kill him. Just ducking under the man's sword and taking him out before he could react.

Could he do it though? Could Jack cut this man down just like that? He wasn't too sure if he could-

* * *

><p><em>"Enough."<em>

* * *

><p>That one word made everyone freeze. The armed bandits, Knights, and whoever were a part of the band of killers all stopped in their tracks. Even the man in the Eastern armor froze, his breathing hitched to the point of nearly stopping.<p>

Jack was also shocked. The voice did not sound like it came from any of the group, and he hadn't seen anyone else so far. So who else was with them in the massive forest?

_"Let him through."_ the voice called out again, likely talking to the man with his weapon at Jack's neck.

"Bu-but lady Alv-"

The voice cut him off, sounding much more forceful this time, _"Let. Him. Through._"

Shaking slightly, the man reluctantly removed his blade from Jack's neck while the rest of the group backed off. This was obviously confusing for Jack but considering that he was about to get a free pass out of the no-win situation, he wasn't about to question it.

So while keeping his eyes on the group (who all looked ready to kill him in a millisecond), Jack took a deep breath and turned his attention toward where the mysterious voice had come from. It turned out that the voice had originated from the broken building, just behind Jack. Whoever had saved him must have been inside and wanted him to enter...for some reason.

Maybe they wanted to talk to him for some reason? That was the best answer Jack could think of at the moment.

While keeping his eyes on the armored undead that surrounded him, Jack slowly made his way toward and inside the broken building. Whatever it had been, the building had apparently not aged well. There were numerous holes in the walls and the teen could even see just how worn the stone bricks were. Along with that, bricks were scattered both inside and outside of the building, having fallen from the structure as time passed.

Luckily though, the door was just large enough for Jack to walk through it without the need to duck his head. But once inside, Jack was puzzled with the lack of...anyone being there. The entire room was empty, the only thing inside besides him being bricks.

In fact, the teen nearly left the room after a moment due to this confusion. However, the sound of that same voice quickly dashed those plans.

_"My, my."_ the voice said, _"So thou art the one who has been causing much trouble this night, aren't you?"_

Looking around frantically, Jack eventually came across the source of the sly yet, aged voice. Sitting in a large window to the left of the boy, was a cat. But this was no ordinary cat. With thick grey fur, Jack stared in awe at the sight of perhaps the largest cat he had ever seen. It was easily the size of his old body, if not bigger. Hell, Jack was quite sure that it could have eaten him in his old body!

It had a very large mouth, thick black whiskers, and two paws sitting under its chin while gazing down at the teen. Clearly, it was no ordinary house cat.

Jack gulped at the size of such a feline, _'Wow...'_

_"If thou art done gazing at me, may I inquire as to why you are here?"_ the cat questioned him, _"We see very view visitors in these lands, and yet...I feel that thou art here for a reason that most...do not share, is that right?"_

Shaking himself out of his shock, Jack tried to find his voice so he could speak to the...cat, "I'm...well, I'm not really sure...miss?"

_"Alvina."_ the cat answered with a sly smirk, _"I am, Alvina of the Darkroot Wood. I am the leader of this covenant of rouges, most of which you have met. But, enough about me. Who are you, my dear boy?"_

The teen let out another gulp, "J-Jack miss, my name is Jack."

_"Well."_ the cat said with a a more welcoming tone,_ "Welcome to the domain of the Forest Hunters then, Jack. We are the protectors of this lands and those who rest here. But, I had a feeling that the graves are...not you're reason for being here, are they not?"_

Jack hesitated for a second but he eventually shook his head, "No, no it isn't."

_"Could you explain then, for me?"_

Letting out a small sigh, Jack complied with her request, "I came to the nearby basin to find answers, but I didn't find anything..." Jack sighed, "But after that, I found my way up here and looked around for a bit. But eventually, the...hunters outside, they started to attack me and I ended up here...ma'am."

Alvina nodded, she had suspected this,_ "That is only normal I am afraid. As I have said, we forest hunters protect these lands from those who may defile the graves of who reside here, which means the hunters outside attack anyone who dares enter these forests."_

Jack looked on in concern, "Graves?"

_"Yes," the cat nodded again, "Beyond this place is a site, one filled with the graves of those who had fallen long ago. Many have tried over time to defile these graves, to plunder from them what has been put to rest. And that, is why we are here. To_ _track down defilers of the forest graves, to drive them away."_

Upon learning this, Jack found some of his previous questions finally answered. Why the people outside had attacked him and why that Knight was so obsessed with defending this place. They were merely protecting graves from grave-robbers! It made sense now. Although, it did make Jack wish they had simply told him this before chasing him all the way through the forest.

Would have saved him a lot of running at least...

_"But, that aside..."_ Alvina continued, _"Answers are what you seek, but for what? What do you need in lands such as this?"_

Jack looked around for a moment. Was he seriously going to explain his current situation...to a giant cat? He was friends with giant robotic aliens for sure, but a giant talking cat? This was starting to seem weird for event Jack's luck.

"Well, I...well, I'm not really from here." he explained, "In fact, it might be hard to believe but...well..."

_"Another world? Another time? Another place?" _the cat suggested_, "As a land as ancient as this, such stories are as common as the leaves on the wind."  
><em>

_"The Undead seek the source of a curse. The mad seek the light. Adventurers seek the thrill, the spoils of their in-devours. There are many reasons for thou to be here, but your answers? Perhaps they lay just beyond this place."  
><em>

Jack furrowed his brow at the feline, "What do you mean?"

Chuckling, Alvina gestured toward the door to Jack's right,_ "Beyond here is a mass grave, one dedicated to a powerful and long gone warrior."  
><em>

_"And while we would normally protect it from outsiders, perhaps there is something there that could...help thou?"  
><em>

Looking toward the door, Jack couldn't help but give the cat a questioning glance, "And why, do you want to help me? Just out of your good graces or something?"

That might have seemed mean, but after all the crap Jack had been through while in Lordran, he couldn't help be a bit picky about who might help him. For all he knew, this could just be another trap or just a feline wanting to pull one over a poor kid's head. Either way, Jack had the right to be a bit...cautious about who he might trust in a land such as this._  
><em>

Alvina just laughed at his question,_ "A good question, it is. But you can call it...a bit of intuition perhaps. A gut feeling if not that."_

_"And truly, what does thou have to lose?"_

Despite how...odd the situation was, Jack couldn't deny that. He could either listen to the cat's advice or go back outside and face all those 'Forest Hunters' as Alvina called them. And while he would rather not admit it, but the cat's idea was the much more preferable of the two choices.

So swallowing his pride, Jack lifted his shield on his shoulder and turned toward the exit with uncertainty. Hopefully, this wouldn't end too badly for him.

But for some reason, he knew it would.

"Fine, I'll take a look." he mumbled as he started off. But before he got too far, the teen looked back at Alvina, "If this all works out...thanks."

The feline chuckled once again,_ "Thou should really not take thing so seriously, but thy are very welcome. I do hope thou has much luck on your journey though."_

"Me too," Jack sighed, "Me too."

With that said, Jack took a deep breath and began on his path, walking over the stoney bridge and out of Alvina's sight. But as the feline lost track of the armored teen, she couldn't help but drop the sly grin she had been wearing for their entire conversation.

That armor, those weapons. There was no question as to who it belonged to. Even his height and size were the same. Even if a thousand lifetimes had gone by, Alvina would never forget such a appearance. But, that wasn't the only thing she had noticed. Besides his looks, the boy...this Jack. had a different voice, tone, and even how he carried himself was different.

And his soul, that was the most interesting part.

This was either a elaborate duplication...or something much, much deeper was afoot.

But of course, that wasn't for Alvina to decide. She was merely a guardian, a friend who guided and assisted from the background. It is what she did all those years ago, and its what she was doing now. Gathering undead, bringing them into her fold and making them part of her family so they could defend those she cared for, respected.

The one who would decide what this boy was would do so with the up-most certainty. After all...who was closer to Artorias than him?

_"For your sake my boy,"_ Alvina sighed to herself, _"Thou better not be just another foolish undead, rummaging around for souls and steel...or else, thou's fate would have been more pleasant with my hunters than..."_

_"The teeth of a wolf."_

* * *

><p><em>Author's Notes:<em>

_And we are we are, nearing the BIG turning point. If you've played Dark Souls before, then you know where Jack is going and who he is about to meet. Oh, this is going to be fun! Expect some major stuff next time_

_Jack's running from the forest hunter is actually a recreation of mine and other player's first time going through the Forest Hunters without knowing about the other entrance. When you go that way, everything in the Basin, and then deal with a swarm of those Demonic Shrubs, suddenly getting attacked like that does kind of spark a 'Run like hell' response. And another thing, Alvina calling them off is a homage as well, for if you talk to her in the game while the hunters are attacking you, they will de-agro and go back to their original spots._

_If anyone is still a bit...confused about Jack's size since his transformation, think 3 or 4 times the average grown adult. So if I was to compare him to a Autobot, he would go up to or a little higher than Arcee's waist right now._

_RxR please! I would love to see your comments!  
><em>


	8. Memories of a Time Long Ago

RxR! I would love to hear your comments!

* * *

><p><em>Memories of a Time Long Ago.<em>

* * *

><p>The far side of the Darkroot Garden proved to be a much more peaceful region for Jack. There was no Demonic Foliage, No Forest Hunters wanting to claim his head, and the trees were much higher and spaced apart (so Jack didn't have to worry about banging his head against the branches again).<p>

It was a nice break in the boy's opinion, even if he had no idea where he was going.

While passing through the darkened woods however, Jack did encounter yet another collection of strange creatures. These strange organisms appeared to be a bizarre swarm of fungus, all of which were large in size along with being somewhat humanoid. With arms and legs, they also lacked any real faces. But some of them did have two large blackened eyes settled near the top of their bodies.

As Jack pushed his way on his path, the armored teen even noticed that the creatures came in two sizes. One was a much smaller and almost child sized, its limbs small and stumpy as a result. The rest of the Mushroom creatures were the opposite of this. They were much larger and were almost like an adult-sized counterpart to the children. The latter of the two even looked as if they could punch a grown man out if it wanted to.

That alone gave Jack enough reason to avoid them by a good several yards.

So while avoiding the other residents of the forest, Jack pushed onward into the darkened woods. This lasted for several minutes until he came across an ancient looking stone bridge. It was large and made of withering rocks that were falling from its railings, but for some reason it seemed…familiar to Jack as well.

"Must be the architecture." Jack mused, remembering the stone structures he had passed through earlier.

The bridge did seem to match the building that Alvina was in with its age alone. Perhaps all of the forest had once been part of an ancient land or something at one point and these were its remains. It was quite evident that the bridge hadn't aged well either, as both the building and the bridge were missing various stones and looked quite old.

So for it to stand as strong as it did despite that age, the bridge must have been build to last.

But instead of focusing on such a thing, Jack pushed on and crossed the bridge. Luckily though, it was much larger than the last and held his weight was no worry of him taking a fall any time soon.

On the other side of said bridge however, were more ruins from what appeared to have been a large complex. But whatever it had been, it was long gone by the time Jack arrived. In fact, most of the walls had even collapsed by that point in time. Now, there were only piles of stones and a gigantic doorway.

And what a doorway it was.

It was huge, even when compared to the other things Jack had seen. It was truly massive, made of a strange type of wood that didn't even seem to fit with surrounding area. It was dark and thick, like it had been cut from a massive tree. The wood seemed ageless as well, a massive contrast to the rest of the forest and it even had an almost...mythical and ancient feel to it.

Coming to a stop right at the base of the door, Jack quickly found another problem. How in the hell was he going to open it?

It was massive, heavy, and Jack highly doubted that he was going to be able to move it on his own. Even with a new body such as his, Jack felt that only something like a Cybertronian could even have a slight chance to make the door move an inch.

"I wish she told me about THIS before I came all the way over here." He mumbled, thinking back to Alvina and her suggestion.

Jack walked over to the giant door and briefly pressed his hand against it. His gauntlet pushed against the door's wooden surface but it didn't even give a centimeter. Not even when he put all his strength into it. The entrance was truly immense and nothing short of Optimus pushing on the door would clear the giant entrance for the young teen.

Slamming his fist into the door out of frustration, Jack picked himself up and started to make his way back across the bridge. If this door was nothing but a dead end, the Jack would just have to find a way around it.

"Shouldn't be too bad..." Jack muttered to himself, "Isn't the first time I've found a dead end..."

As he walked away from the doorway however, Jack stopped when he heard a sudden...creaking noise. It was like two giant stones were being dragged across the ground, with everything beneath them being crushed under their massive weight. The armored teen turned to face the massive door and was shocked to see it...

...opening on its own. There was nothing pushing or pulling the doors apart. the imposing door was just moving on its own.

Jack almost gawked as he watched the pathway open in front of him. And it wasn't just because of the doors opening for him. There was something else going on inside the teen that had him shocked to his very soul.

The presence. The one that came out when he was fighting...it had returned.

He could feel it beneath his skin once again, pushing him in the direction it wanted. But instead of urging him to cut down a monster or attacker in front of him, the influence had a different idea this time. There was no violent intent for once, instead the force merely wanted Jack to press on and walk toward whatever the door had revealed to him.

Jack took a deep breath, "Okay, was...going to do that anyway."

It was why he had walked over to the door in the first place. But Jack was now just a bit concerned about whether or not he should actually enter the doorway or not. Why did this presence within him want to go in there? What could it want? And what did it mean for Jack?

The teen knew none of the answers to these questions, but he did have only one choice in front of him

Jack tightened his grip on his sword before taking a deep breath. Steeling himself, the armored teen started to make his way past the giant door way that had laid in front of him. Pushing past the giant gate, Jack soon found himself in a large field. It was lacking any trees or ruined buildings, it was merely a large field with various walls of stone surrounding it. Grass covered the moist ground and it seemed rather...peaceful in comparison to the rest of the forest.

But in the center was something that made Jack stop in tracks.

His mind imminently returned to what Alvina had said before, why those people were protecting the forest (and attacking him).

* * *

><p><em> "Beyond this place is a site, one filled with the graves of those who had fallen long ago."<em>

* * *

><p>A Tombstone.<p>

Standing in the center of the open field was a massive grave, signified by a humongous tombstone.

It was massive, larger than Jack by a good deal. The passage of time had affected the stone structure as well, signified by the crumbling surface and moss growing over its surface but regardless of that, it stood tall. Despite how hard time had been on the massive tombstone, it stood tall. Even the text that had been carved into the stone was still there even if it had faded a tad.

A field of swords surround the tombstone, with each of them stuck blade first into the ground. It looked like a graveyard in itself, a graveyard of swords. There were even various flowers among the swords, scattered around the swords and tombstones.

As the teen approached the massive grave sight, he couldn't help but feel a...

...connection to it all. It might have been the presence within himself, but something was making Jack want to reach out and touch it.

It was a Grave...he wanted to reach out and touch a grave marker...

"What is going on!?" he hissed to himself.

Jack wanted to scream to the heavens, things were just getting weirder and weirder for him! And it hadn't even stopped yet. The presence within Jack was still urging him to approach the massive grave marker for whatever reason! It was infuriating for the teen, for more reasons than one.

Tightening his fist, Jack let out a growl and glared at the Tombstone, "Alright, fine!"

After stabbing his sword into the ground, Jack marched his way over to the center of the field. He was careful not to step on any of the patches of flowers or knock over the swords in the meanwhile, but Jack was angry regardless. If whatever was inside him wanted to see this thing close up, then Jack would grant it that, even if it was to just shut it up for a time.

As he got closer however, Jack noticed something he hadn't at a distance.

Right in front of the Tombstone was a massive sword, much larger than the others. It was massive even though the blade was at least halfway into the ground. Unlike the other swords, it looked well kept and undamaged. Not a hint of rust covered the weapon and oddly enough, it looked quite similar to Jack's own sword.

In fact, it looked too similar to his sword. They were practically twins besides their sizes, something that made Jack just a bit uneasy. It didn't stop with that however, as Jack also felt the same connection with the sword that he had with the grave itself. A connection, a link that was born from nothing his memories could produce.

But as he approached the blade, a large shadow suddenly covered the armored teen. The looked up to see what the source of the obstruction was, but what Jack saw made his stomach drop in shock.

Standing above him and atop the tombstone was a wolf. But it was not any normal wolf. Like Alvina, this wolf was large, inhumanly large. It stood over him and the grave site so much that its shadow covered nearly everything. The wolf's size was even so grand that it could barely fit all four of its paws on the gigantic tombstone

The wolf's coat was a fine grey color and its eyes were a sharp yellow. In its eyes however, Jack could see...so much. He could see age, he could see experience, and of all else, he could see an intelligence. This was no simple animal. There was more in its mind than instincts and animal cunning. It knew what is was doing, and there was one thing in particular that Jack could see in its eyes.

This wolf...was glaring at him.

Jack had no idea why it was doing that, why it was glaring at him so. Was it because he was in the graveyard? The wolf might have been like Alvina's hunters and despised anyone who entered the grave site. Maybe it was hungry or Jack just disturbed its nap? Either way, the wolf was not happy with the teen's presence.

But as the moments passed, the expression in the wolf changed. It shifted from an aggressive glare to a tone of confusion and shock. It would have been hard to tell for most people but Jack manged to notice the subtle change in the wolf's face. The tense expression it had held slowly loosened as its face softened with a questioning look.

In fact, Jack could have sworn that he saw a look of familiarity in the beast's eyes.

As before, Jack had no idea what had triggered this but he didn't time to question it. Just as the teen was about to react to such a imposing and powerful looking creature, he stopped. Without any warning, a sudden spike of pain exploded within Jack's mind. It was like someone had stabbed him right in the head and was now twisting the blade in every direction they could.

"Ah!" Jack moaned, reaching up and grabbing his head. The sensation he was feeling...it was like twenty migraines hitting him all at once.

* * *

><p><em><strong>"Ah, Sif! There you are..."<strong>_

* * *

><p>Stepping back in pain, Jack could feel his legs grow weak as the painful sensations grew worse.<p>

There was something...trying to push its way into his mind almost, to make itself quite known to the teen despite how painful the process seemed to be.

Upon noticing this, the massive wolf jumped down from its perch with a bit more confusion and perhaps even a bit of concern filling its eyes. It approached Jack with barely a bit of ill intent accompanying it, passing by the massive sword without paying it any attention. But as the wolf grew closer, the pain eclipsing Jack grew even stronger. It was like a jackhammer pounding in his skull, threatening to break out.

* * *

><p><em><strong>"All of you...forgive me..."<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Stop..." he begged, "...make it stop!"<p>

Jack dropped to his knees, unable to take it anymore. His head felt like it was about to explode, to rupture like a exploding gas tank.

An echoing voice was bouncing off the inside of the teen's mind. Jack could have even compared it to a megaphone being put right next to his ear. It was so loud, so deafening that Jack could barely even hear himself think. He nearly resorted to pounding his head into the ground in an attempt to silence the voice. But no matter what he did, the voice didn't stop. In fact, it just seemed to grow more intense as the seconds passed on by.

* * *

><p><em><strong>"...for I have availed you <span>nothing<span>."**_

* * *

><p>Jack let loose a ear bleeding scream, "AH! PLEASE! Stop!Stop!Stop!Stop! <em>STOP IT!<em>"

His eyes were bloodshot, his nerves were burning, and his body was shaking. Jack could feel himself rip his own hair out in desperation but not even that could compare to the pain he was feeling. His head was about to burst, blood dripping out of his ears. The teen was in such pain that he would have preferred death to what he was experiencing.

Collapsing to the ground, Jack laid there as the sensations reached their peak. He could hear the voice clearly now and it was like pick axes piercing his brain.

"...please..." he muttered, tears spilling from his eyes, "M-make it stop..."

But whatever the presence was, it wasn't listening. In fact, it merely continued the assault with no signs of stopping. And despite how long he had lasted up till that point, Jack couldn't take it anymore. There was just too much for him to handle. Hell, he didn't know who could handle something like this. He felt his consciousness wavering, it was simply too much.

Darkness filled his vision as something else took hold, almost like cracks were appearing in his mind. The teen couldn't even speak at this point, all that came out of his mouth was a silent scream as everything came crashing down on him.

And with one finally push, Jack's resistance fell. He had nothing left. And with nothing left, the presence inside him had nothing halting its progress any longer.

Jack could just barely hang on as something filled his mind, but while he tried to shake his head clear of the fog that had filled it...

...the boy heard an old, strong voice speak within the caverns of his mind.

* * *

><p><strong><em>POV:?<em>**

**_A time long ago, in a place that has been long forgotten..._**

_This, once grand land...how could it have been reduced to such a state? The buildings have crumbled, the corruption spreading like a sickness. Its streets, which once were filled with life have gone silent, no one left sane enough to wonder among them. Some of the buildings still stood, but others had fallen to the decay, collapsing onto each other. Vegetation had also started to retake the city along with other, darker things. And the air, it was sour. Almost if it was filled with the scent of the dead.  
><em>

_But after what I have seen, death is the least of the worries of those left in this cursed land.  
><em>

_I feel a soft nudge to my side. Looking down, I see my companion edging me to proceed. We had a mission to complete and he was growing quite impatient._

_For such a small creature, I am frequently amused at how eager he is to complete our tasks. Maybe it was because of his small size, or maybe how many of the residents in Ano Londo merely see him as my 'pet'? Both are topics I frequently tell him to ignore, but hes a stubborn one like that.  
><em>

_He wanted to prove that he could be a warrior, that he could fight alongside the warriors of our lord. That despite being a mere beast, he could befell just as many demons and monsters as another Knight in this, our shining time._

_A noble goal if there ever was one. But I fear that in this forsaken land...glory will be the last thing we will find._

_But, I should not dwell on such a thing. This land, I can feel something slithering among it. Like that Serpent that allied itself with his lord, there was something moving just underneath this ruined land. A presence so foul that it makes me want to cover myself in disgust. It was the Abyss, wasn't it? This dark presence that I feel just behind me. Almost as if it is stalking me.  
><em>

_Oolacile. How have you fallen so? I have heard the whispers, claiming that you have brought this darkness upon yourself. But tell me that isn't true, tell my that my comrades are wrong about you and what your kind are truly made of._

_This hopes haunt me as Sif and I make our way through this ruined city, the crumbling stone beneath our feet. But, I shall not let them get to me, not now or ever. _

_"Come on," I tug the wolf along, holding my sword tightly as he followed suit, "There is much more than just corruption in this city, I can feel it."_

_Our lord had given us a mission, and as a Knight of Gwyn, I will not disappoint him._

* * *

><p>"What...?"<p>

Jack blinked as he watched that...scene...play out. He had no idea what it was. A unknown memory? A vision from someone else? His mind playing tricks on him? The teen had no idea. But what he did know was that he had never seen that place before. The ruined landscape was new to him, nothing in Lordran so far had looked like that.

The burning in his mind had started to calm down but it had been replaced with...whatever this was.

The voice sounded familiar though, but it was something Jack couldn't put his finger on. He had heard it before but wasn't sure where.

Sif. The voice had also called the wolf at his side, Sif. It looked remarkably like the wolf in front of Jack, but only much smaller. It was actually close to the size of a normal wolf with only being a tad bit bigger. But it couldn't have been the same, maybe a long ago ancestor or something. There was no connection besides that, nothing more.

But even as he thought that, Jack felt something else inside him boom, a commanding voice telling him...to abandon that idea.

* * *

><p><em>These creatures, they weren't human anymore. I was sure of it.<em>

_Bloated heads, contorted limbs, and their actions. They were like wild animals, striking out against anything they saw. Sure, they weren't a true threat to me alone, but in number...they could be a quite a handful._

_My sword met their flesh a many number of times despite that. Cutting them down and spilling their black blood onto this already ruined city. It was hard to tell the difference at this point as we made our way through the crumbling buildings. Was it blood or was it the Abyss itself that stained the ground so deep? Emotions ran through the darkened city, whispers of many things.  
><em>

_Many things that were making me quite unsettled._

_Sif was doing fine, as I expected. He was a master of the blade, much like myself. Even if they came at him in massive numbers, he slaughtered them all with barely a scratch on him. He is a warrior, and I am glad to have him by my side. For there are very few that can match this wolf's bite, even if they came from the Abyss.  
><em>

_As we cut our way deeper into the city however, the Abyss became more common. The transformed inhabitants, the corrupted streets, and the atmosphere. It had grown darker. We could barely even see the sun anymore and I doubted that it was simply the buildings blocking its rays._

_However, even with the light fading around us, I am certain that the dark would not stop us. For I can feel the light within me, a light that will shine out this filth._

* * *

><p>Those monsters. Jack had seen them before.<p>

In that dream, the one he saw before he awoke in Lordran. The ruined Colosseum and the monsters within. The creatures this voice was killing, they were the same. Right down to their bloated heads and screams. Jack was sure of it. He would never forget them.

But what did this mean? Were these visions (or whatever they were) connected to that dream?

_'But...'_ Jack recalled back to when the Dragon had burned him alive, the conversation he had with...that Knight.

'_He said that wasn't a drea-'_

* * *

><p><em>This is...this is not what I expected, nor what I had hoped for.<br>_

_After making our way even deeper into this vile land, Sif and I encountered a horrific place. It looked like a jail, a prison with multiple cells on each side of the hall. But that wasn't the worst of it. It, like the rest of this land, had been corrupted with this darkness. The Abyss. The walls were covered by it and the metal doors of the cells had been torn apart by something that was more than...or less than human.  
><em>

_Torn apart from the inside...out._

_At the end of the hall was also another chamber, a large one with a bonfire at its center. But even though they were made by our lord, this bonfire felt wrong. It felt sick. Like it had been used for a more sinister purpose. Bonfires are symbols of our lord's Age of Fire, so what could they have done to this one to make it seem so tainted? Sif even made an effort to stay away from it. He could sense how wrong it was, just as I could.  
><em>

_The room it was contained in didn't help with this idea. It was filled with chains and the corruption of the Abyss. But even with these damning pieces of evidence, it was nothing compared to what else I saw._

_At the far end of the room, opposite of where we came in was...a hole. A simple hole, as if the wall had collapsed. But what I saw in it would haunt me for the rest of my days.  
><em>

_Dark._

_Nothing but Dark._

_I heard Sif whimper slightly as we approached it and truthfully, I couldn't blame him for it._

_The hole led into a massive chamber, a cavern. If I were to guess, I would say that it spread all underneath of Oolicile. But inside was more than simple darkness. It was the source of the corruption within the land above, or at least contained such. As I gazed into this dark void, I could feel it. The Darkness, the evil trying to grab hold of me. It was trying to drag me inside..._

_This Chasm. It was the Chasm of the Abyss._

* * *

><p>Jack felt his spine tingle in fear. This darkness, it felt...familiar to him.<p>

He was sure that he had never seen this chasm before, but the darkness within it, that felt familiar. He wasn't sure where or when, but Jack had the feeling that he had seen it before, grasping for his sanity and his soul.

It felt so sinister that it made Megatron's glare look like a damn puppy's in comparison. It was old, it was ancient, it was powerful, and it was angry. So very angry. Even just looking at it through someone else's eyes, Jack felt a tremor run through his body. As he gazed into this darkness, Jack could feel something else looking back at him.

A darkness, clawing at his skin, trying to drag him into the abyss. Never to return.

* * *

><p><em>Sif, please understand...<em>

_Sif, you and I are warriors. We have fought together on many fields. Reduced many an enemy to rotting corpses with barely an effort. We were warriors of Ano Londo, we knew of more danger than most beings in this world._

_But this, we were not prepared for that._

_We moved through this darkness, this deepening cavern. The monsters from above were here as well, and they fell just as easily as they had in the light. But along with these cursed creatures, there was something else in this darkness. Something neither of us had ever seen before._

_Black spirits, ranging from being even bigger than myself to being the size of a child. They looked like phantoms, black in body with a glowing white outline. The only other feature they had were a pair of small white eyes. They held no emotion, seemingly lifeless and devoid of real life. It was like they were born in this darkness, and thrived in it._

_Like the rest of this abysmal place, they weren't friendly to either of us. They attacked on sight and proved much more threatening than the creatures of Oolacile. Just touching them was harmful. They passed right through my shield, burning and tearing at my armor upon contact. Even my sword feels as if touching them corrupted its steel. They are otherworldly, something neither of us had ever witnessed before.  
><em>

_But you? I could see it despite your attempts to hide it. It was excruciating. You lack any armor, any means to protect yourself besides your sword. And even while you have cut many of their numbers down, I fear for you. You're whimpers, and that limb._

_You can't continue with me, or this place will be your end._

_Hell, I fear it may be mine as well. But if that is the case, I will not let you follow me to the grave. I refuse.  
><em>

_Take my shield, I leave it with you. It will protect you, I know that for certain._

_The phantoms, these creatures. They are returning. I may not hear them, but I can sense their dark presence. It stinks of the Abyss. I must make my leave, to push on and find where they are surfacing from. We still have our mission, and even if you must stay here, I will continue on._

_Don't hate me for this, it is all I ask. I can see the pain in your eyes, the sense of betrayal, worry, and concern. You are not the one to hide from a foe, or to stay back as another marches to his end. But I will not watch as you fall. Not in this darkness. And so, I leave this with you. And my friend..._

_...Sif, please forgive me._

* * *

><p>A sorrow filled Jack's heart. He didn't know why..at least not completely.<em><br>_

He felt a sudden loss of something, deep within his heart. The teen had no real idea of what it was really, but it was like he had just said goodbye to someone he deeply cared about. Someone he had known for so long...and someone who he would never see again.

To his best friend, to a brother...

"Sif..." Jack clenched his heart. Why did he say that? What was he thinking? And what were these...memories!?

* * *

><p><em>It hurts...everything hurts.<em>

_My armor, I can feel it falling to pieces. These creatures, they had torn it apart by only touching it! The plates of fine silver were now rotten by their presence alone. My tassel, given to me when I became one of Lord Gywn's knights. It was in tatters too, ruined and stained by these abominations.  
><em>

_I pressed on though...I would not be stopped so easily. But even know, my arms grow weak. Ever swing of my mighty sword, chipped and corroded by my foes, grew weaker each passing moment. They were never ending, its like...they were part of the Abyss itself. Spreading out, multiplying as long as darkness lingered on._

_And while I wanted to claim that the light of my lord shall protect me..._

_...there is no light here. Only darkness._

_I press on, killing...I don't know how many of these phantoms. They just keep coming, their pale eyes shining in the darkness. _

_Eventually though...I find it. Deep into the cavern. Far...so far from where I left Sif, there was a large opening, a gate...a door._

_Whatever was causing this, it had to be there...it just had to be. What else would it be?_

_I had to find it...I had to KILL it._

_No, I WILL KILL it...I swear. I will. Nothing will stop me! For I am a knight of Gwyn! Lord of Sunlight!_

_Sif...wait for me, I will not be long. And then, we can go home..._

_...home..._

* * *

><p>"Home..." Jack whispers.<p>

Where...was his home? Half of him wanted to say Jasper, but another wanted to say something completely different. A place that Jack had never heard of until now. The name just barely escaped him, but it also felt so close to his heart.

They weren't conflicted though, he had a feeling towards both places. They were both his home.

How...how was that possible? How could he have to homes? It didn't make sense...

Two homes...two sets of friends and family...

Two names.

* * *

><p><em>My arm...I can't feel my arm...<em>

_This ...this beast, what is this creature?_

_Living in the dark, this endless nightmare. Its unlike anything I have ever wit-_

_...I...can't feel..._

_My...my head, it feels..._

_Dark...nothing but dark..._

_Word are echoing in my head...but they aren't mine. Who is this, who is talking to me!?_

_My vision, its...fading. Something is crawling inside..._

_I...want to fight._

_I...need to fight..._

_I..._

_...I've failed._

* * *

><p>Resting his head on the soft ground, Jack was frozen. His eyes, his entire body were just sitting there. Unable to move and unable to think.<p>

His mind, it was silent.

* * *

><p><em>Ah, Sif! There you are! All of you... forgive me... for I have availed you nothing.<em>

* * *

><p>Finally, after several moments of silence, Jack lifted himself up. He sat cross-legged on the ground, a soft breathing echoing through the large graveyard.<p>

His hands finally let go of his head, the voices having left him finally. His mind was at peace after such pain rushing through him. But the teen didn't feel as if he was at peace. There was so much going on in him, so much had been revealed. The voice, it revealed something to him. Something he never had expected.

Hearing the soft sound of something approaching, Jack raised his head up and gazed at the wolf in front of him. The beast had sat there, watching the whole time. He could see so much in its eyes, but he also saw something else. Something he had only scratched the surface of previously

As he gazed at the wolf, Jack could feel something guiding him, helping realize something...so very important.

"Sif..." he whispered, Jack reaching out to the wolf.

This creature...he knew its name. He knew who it was. Even after so long, he knew. How could he not?

Jack could feel tears building up, "...its you, isn't it?"

The wolf's eyes widened, a surprise evidently filling them. It then stepped forward, its feet taking special care for what might be happening. But was it came within arms length, Jack reached up and touched the side of its face. Carefully brushing his hand gently across the soft coat of fur, Jack heard the wolf let out a small growl, one filled with neither malice or aggression.

Sif lowered himself to the ground, no longer standing over the sitting boy. His eyes had softened, meeting Jack's eyes with the same emotion filling them. He might have looked different underneath his armor, but Sif could feel something from this boy. Something so familiar.

Something he thought...he would never see again.

"I've...missed you so much."

* * *

><p><strong>Inside Jack's mind, seconds before:<strong>

* * *

><p>Inwardly, Jack was more than confused.<p>

What were these emotions? Why was he feeling them? And why did he want to hug Sif like he was a long lost brother? He didn't know the wolf, he had only seen him in those memories, and they weren't even his!

**"Well, they are actually."** a voice told him, **"Now, at least."**

_'What?'_ Jack inwardly muttered. The voice sounded the same as the one in those memories, and as that knight from before.

_'Oh,'_ he realized, the voice WAS the same, _'Its you again, isn't it?'_

A laugh followed, echoing through the teen's head, **"Why yes, it is. I told you we would have words again."**

Jack sighed, _'Yes...yes you did. But why?'_

**"Why, to congratulate you, and to thank you."** the Knight's voice told him. Jack could swear he heard clapping as well.

Jack would have raised a brow in confusion if he could, _'Thank me? For what?"_

**"Why, for going through all of that. You do know what that was, don't you?"** the Knight asked. But Jack didn't have an answer. He was still more than a bit confused about what was going on. Hell, just having his conversation was confusing him.

**"They were my memories. My last moments to be precise."** The Knight's voice explained, **"When you became...what you are now, you were still missing quite a few things. Things that were still locked away, deep inside your mind, needing to be unlocked. Powerful things, things that had a way of...influencing you."**

Jack felt his heart stop,_ 'You mean...'_

The Knight nodded sadly, **"Yes. You don't know how to fight that well, do you? So, what remained of me helped you along...even if you weren't ready for it."**

The boy felt...conflicted about this. Jack was happy that he wasn't going insane and killing people because he was losing it. It meant that he WASN'T a cold blooded killer on his own. But on the other hand, something else had been controlling him, making him kill like a savage. And Jack did not like to be controlled like a damn puppet.

**"But,"** the Knight interrupted him before he could get too angry, **"That, is no longer the case."**

Jack felt confusion rush through him, _'What do you mean?'_

Seconds after saying that, Jack could have sworn he felt a armored hand touch his shoulder, giving him a bit of needed reassurance.

**"Because, we are the same now. My memories are yours now, as are my abilities, experience, and thrill of battle. All of it is yours, to do with as you please."_  
><em>**

_'I...' _Jack hesitated, _'I don't understand._'

**"When you changed, there was much of myself still to be unlocked. Why? Perhaps so it wouldn't overwhelm you when it happened or so you can adjust to the body before the memories arrived. I will not fool myself into thinking that I fully understand either."** the knight explained.

**"Either way, once you found someone with such a connection to my memories and experiences, the rest would follow suite."**

The teen slowly nodded in understanding, _'Sif.'_

The Knight clapped his hands,** "Yes! My dear companion! I became so enthralled when Alvina pushed you in his direction...even if it pains me to see what he has been reduced to since my falling."**

Guarding his grave like a mere guard dog, slaughtering all that came near. It make the Knight bow his head in sorrow. He knew what his friend was doing. He wanted to honor his name and protect others from the threat of the Abyss. It was a noble task of course. But to be alone all this time? After he was left by the same Knight who promised that he would return? It was dishonorable.

_'Alvina?'_

**"Yes," **the Knight nodded,** "She was an old acquaintance of mine, but that is not important right now."**

Jack sighed, still more than a bit confused,_ 'You're making less sense than last time...'_

That earned a hefty laugh from the knight, **"Well, I did tell you that confusion is fairly common while in Lordran."** he laughed.

The Knight then began to approuch Jack, who remained still despite his confusion, **"But to be simple, you no longer need to concern yourself with that. For why must you worry about something that is a part of yourself?"  
><strong>

_'What?'_

The continued to approuch Jack, not stopping as he got within a foot or two from the teen. Hell, Jack was even worried that the Knight was going to run into him. But as the two were about to clash, the Knight just...vanished, disappearing as his body collided with the teen.

**"We are the same now, we are part of the same flame. Soul, body, skills, memories. All of it, we are one."**

Jack was silent, allowing the knight to ask one more question, **"Tell me, you once asked for my name, didn't you?"**

_'Yes...'_

Jack could hear the Knight laugh, his voice echoing within his mind, **"Well, I shall tell you, for it is yours as well, now."**

* * *

><p><strong>"I am known as the Knight, Artorias, the Walker of the Abyss. And from now on, we shall share this title, my friend."<strong>

* * *

><p>Author Notes:<p>

-Well, how was it? That was what I think happened in Oolacile during the events of Artorias' journey. Please note, this is just my interpretation. You may believe what you want to believe as there has never been a THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED when it comes to the exact events of Artorias' last journey. But I hope I did the Knight's story justice, for both Artorias and Sif.

-So for anyone confused about Jack now, here is the deal. He and Artorias are one now. He has his memories along with his own. He is still Jack Darby, but he is also Artorias too. No one is getting overwritten, they are still the same people. They are just one person now. Its why Artorias' memories didn't come to "Jack when he first changed, as they would have overwhelmed him at the time, like what almost happened here.

-Next Chapter will see what I've wanted to do for a long time...Artorias/Jack and Sif, together! This is going to be fun.

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><p>RxR! I would love to see your guy's comments! I hope you enjoyed the Chapter!<p> 


	9. The Man, the Wolf, and his Memories

RxR! I'd love to read your comments about all of this!

* * *

><p><em>Chapter: The Man, the Wolf, and his memories.<em>

* * *

><p><em>Years.<em>

_Centuries even. So many years had passed..._

_The last time Sif had seen his dear friend, it was back in the Chasm of the Abyss. When he watched Artorias walk away into the darkness...where he would never be seen again. But that had been proven false, He was there, right in front of Sif._

_His face and voice might have seemed different, but there was so much that couldn't be replicated. Even his scent was different, but the great wolf knew who was standing before him. Tearing all of the differences away, he could sense it, deep within his soul._

_His friend, his brother in arms had returned._

* * *

><p>Minutes passed in what seemed like a flash for the duo. Hell, nearly an hour had passed and yet, the two of them didn't really notice. They had so much time to catch up on, so many things to discuss. Sure, it would be a one sided conversation, but the teen didn't care. Jack had so much he wanted to tell Sif, to inform him of. His life back in Jasper, the things that were waiting for him back in his world...maybe a world he could take Sif back to.<p>

And the Wolf himself? He was merely enjoying the fact that his brother was there, with him once again.

It had been a long, a very long time since they last saw each other. And with all of the memories he had, Jack could feel every little emotion Artorias felt about their reunion.

The two warriors did eventually separate, with Jack petting Sif on the snout while a big smile was on his face.

"So this is where you've been all this time?"

Sif gave the teen a big nod, a happy expression filling the wolf's face. Something he hadn't been able to do in quite sometime. It was refreshing to smile again, he had missed it quite a bit. But, Sif hadn't had a reason to smile for quite sometime. The undead that constantly irritated him were no good company.

Jack winced, patting the wolf gently, "That must have got awful boring..."

Rolling his eyes, Sif gave the teen a nudge.

"Alright, I get it. Than how about we take our leave?" Jack asked the massive wolf, "I am sure you are quite sick of this place."

After all, the wolf had to have been guarding the grave for quite some time. He had grown so large during the years, much larger than either of them thought possible. It made Jack feel quite terrible for it all. His companion had been doing such work for so long and grown so large in solitude. All because he was guarding a tomb, his tomb.

_'My grave...'_ Jack mused silently, _'That...is going to be awkward to think about.'_

In a way, he wasn't wrong. The grave Sif had been guarding WAS his grave. It was Artorias' grave, and such it was his too. But then again, it wasn't. Jack had never died here, and he certainly hadn't been dead for so long that all the other graves could have formed in the meanwhile.

Still, he just figured it was a part of the troublesome situation Jack had found himself had thought that his time in Lordran was already strange enough as it was, but after what happened just moments ago? When his mind had exploded forth with new memories, experiences, and thoughts? Oh, that was another matter all together.

What he felt was...hard to explain. He still knew he was himself, but Jack also felt like he was two people. Two minds in one body. It was rather draining for Jack at first. There was so much to sort through in his head. Artorias had been through so much in his life, he was far older than anyone Jack knew besides the Bots. And the things he had done in all his years? Well, they might give Jack nightmares later.

The wars, the monsters, the demons. And of course, the Abyss itself. The battles, the wars, all of it surged through his mind. The thoughts, those feelings...what it was like to have that dreadful darkness embrace him. Swallowing him whole.

For the rest of his existence, Jack would feel the darkness...

* * *

><p><em>After cutting down another tormented resident of Oolicile, Artorias looked at his hands. They were shaking, an uncontrollable twitch was running through him. He wanted to claim that it was just the stress of the situation, but he knew more than that.<em>

_There was something...moving underneath his skin._

_**"Soon, I will be consumed. By "Them"..." **__he muttered, the realization as damning as the blood on his hands, __**"By the Dark..."**_

* * *

><p>Like the Knight he had been, or was now...Jack had a scar within him. It was left by the Abyss when Artorias had fallen, and it was within him even now. The teen might not be in the Abyss's clutches like Artorias had been but the scar was there all the same.<p>

There would always be a dark patch of the Abyss within him, no matter what.

But, it wasn't all bad. The memories, the skills…it was all like Artorias had said. He had it all, and yet they weren't trying to overwhelm him, not anymore. They were a part of him, like they had always been there. It wasn't like a force was trying to invade his soul and push him out.

They were of one mind and body.

Back in the real world, Jack was shaken from his thoughts when Sif gave the teen another nudge. This one was much more lively however, and Jack could see why. Sif must have felt like he was being released from a old and tiresome job. Finally, he and his brother could go and be free once again! It had only been a dream of his previously, but now it was a reality once again.

"Ah! Good." Jack smiled, standing up and patting his brother on the head once again, "Then grab what you need from this place and let us go! We have much to do my friend!"

The massive wolf let out a rousing bark before hopping to his feet. Sif then marched back toward the grave, giving Jack a moment to retrieve something of his own as well. As he did so though, the teen couldn't help but laugh in the change he had gone through with his way of speaking. Artorias must have rubbed off on him slightly, the way he talked sounded just a bit like how Solaire had!

Walking back toward the entrance to his 'grave', Jack stopped at his sword. He plucked the blade from the ground and examined it for a moment or two.

Ever since he got the blade, Jack had absolutely no idea how to use it. He wasn't a swordsman. Hell, he barely knew how to fight at all. But that was then, and this was now.

With all he had gained, the blade now seemed like an old friend, just like Sif. They had been so much together. The sword had even been with him during his fall to the Abyss, never leaving his side. It was more than a piece of steel. It was an extension of himself.

And boy, did Jack know how to use it.

Holding the blade with both of his hands, Jack gave it a few practice swings. The motions felt natural. No longer was he feeling the empty sensation of throwing a tool around like an armature. He felt like knew how to use this sword. It was something he never thought himself capable of on his own, wasn't his style up till that point.

Before then, Jack had figured that he could have asked one of the Bots if they could teach him how to use a sword whenever he got home. Maybe Optimus or Arcee for example since both of them used bladed weapons.

He would have considered Wheeljack too, but for some reason…he had a feeling that having that Autobot as a teacher would be a hazard to his health.

That was no longer necessary however. Jack was quite capable of dealing with quite the assortment of creatures now. Artorias wasn't one of the Four Knights of Gwyn for nothing. He still wished it wasn't necessary, but after everything he had seen during his time in Lordran, Jack was pretty certain that he was just fooling himself with such thoughts.

Lordran was filled with death, destruction, and was devoid of mercy. He would have to kill. Be it Undead, creatures such as the Black Knight he fought before, or even beasts that were only known to him by Arotrias' memories. Jack knew what he would have to do, and he wouldn't hesitate any longer.

But, Jack would not be alone in this fight. Not any more.

As the teen retrieved his sword, so did Sif. The massive wolf had turned itself around and used its teeth to pick up the massive sword Jack had seen earlier. With a graceful and experienced swing of the blade, Sif turned to face his partner with a shine in his eyes.

Jack now knew why the sword looked so similar to his own, right down to the shape. It was Sif's sword, having been scaled upward to match the wolf's new massive size. It might have not been the exact same sword from years prior, but it might as well have been.

"Good to see that you're quite prepared." Jack couldn't help but smirk, for more than one reason.

Not only was this massive wolf also capable of wielding a sword that size, but he was his companion. Some he had, and will fight alongside in the future. Both sides of Jack, both himself and Artorias couldn't help but feel excited about this.

_'Miko is going to be so jealous!'_

With that in mind, the teen and his new companion finally departed the grave site, freeing Sif from his makeshift prison after so many years. This led the boy over the aged bridge once again, but Sif? He merely jumped from the entrance to the grace site all the way over to the far side of the bridge, landing right above where his companion had stopped.

Jack let out a small laugh, shaking his head at the wolf, "Show off."

Sif responded with a small bark, something Jack figured said something along the lines of 'Jealous?'

"You wish." He scoffed.

Quickly joining the wolf (by leaping up to his friend instead of taking the long way), the two companions made their way back through the forest as fast as they could. But it wasn't easy however. While the trees were large enough for Jack, Sif was another story. He was far too big for it, so the process was…awkward for the most part.

In fact, Jack was certain of that when...

...Sif ripped a tree out of the ground due to getting poked in the eye by a branch.

Still, the two of them eventually made their way back to where the boy had met Alvina despite that discomfort. The two of them split up at that point, with Jack making his way up the set of stone stairs that lead to the talking cat while Sif leaped over the chasm that separated the two sections of the forest. When the massive wolf landed, whatever members of the Forest Hunters that were around were instantly scared out of their wits.

Despite guarding the same grave that Sif had been, the two forces had never met up close. That was clear when many of them let out a terrified shriek once the wolf landed.

It was something Jack really wished he could have seen for himself. After all the trouble they had put him earlier, Jack would have loved to see the looks on their faces.

Jack decided that he would laugh at that later however. For now, he had a date with a talking cat. She had led him to his old friend and so much more. But the teen still had so much more to ask the feline. And unlike last time, Jack wouldn't be so dumbstruck at her appearance. With everything he now knew and basically experienced, Alvina was rather tame in comparison.

Upon walking up to her, Jack was met with a soft laugh from the massive feline.

_"Ah, so you've returned."_ Alvina smiled at the teen, _"Have you found the answers you've sought?"_

Jack crossed his arms, looking up at his host, "Some of them, along with many I didn't even know I had."

The feline let out a laugh. _"Questions are quite the fickle thing. No matter how many you answer, more will always come. They are like an unending darkness, or the stupidity of some undead, never quite getting the hint that they are unwanted."_

"I know that quite well." Jack agreed. He had far too many questions himself to NOT know that.

Still, the teenage knight wasn't there for idle chit-chat, not for the moment at least. Some of the questions he still had were capable of being answered by the feline in front of him. But, Jack was in nor mood to play her games. His patience had been reduced quite a bit after the realization back at the grave site. Apparently, Artorias wasn't the type to play games.

As a Knight of Gwyn, Artorias was a stern, powerful, and serious warrior for his lord. He had done so much for his lord, so much that playing simple games had become an annoyance for the knight. He was the type to get straight to the point, bypassing all the little details he would have to deal with in some of the more…tiring situations his job demanded of him.

And with Jack's own personality already in the mix, well. He just wasn't one for beating around the bush.

"Although, I do have a question for you." he told his host, "Why did you point me off to Sif, knowing what he was doing or what I was?"

If he wasn't for the transformation Jack had gone through, the teen was certain that Sif would have killed him. He saw it in the wolf's eyes the moment he set his sight on him. Sif had killed to protect the grave of his friend, and would have doing it yet again if he had to.

Jack wouldn't have made it five feet into the site before Sif tore him apart. So why had Alvina sent him toward the massive wolf? Hell, why didn't she just let her hunters kill him? Did she know something he hadn't at the time? Or was she simply playing a game? Perhaps spiders weren't the only devious creatures Jack knew.

_"It is quite simple actually."_ the feline laughed, _"The moment you approached the forest, I felt it. You're presence, your soul. It was all so familiar. So much so that it made my hair stand on end. Even before I saw you, I knew what you were."_

"That is why you called off the hunters, not out of your generosity." It was a statement, not a question.

She chuckled again, _"For the most part, although I wanted to see you in the flesh to be sure."_

_"And when I did, I was certain. The armor, the steel in your hands. Even with a different face, I knew it was you...especially from the taint in your soul. It could be no one else but you...Artorias."_

Jack felt his hands tighten. That was his name, but it wasn't his only one. It was a bit of a problem he had realized once things had settled. Until he returned home, Jack might have to live with being referred to as 'Artorias' sometimes. But truly, what was the difference? Artorias? Jack? They meant the same to him now, both names he took pride in. He wasn't one or the other, Jack was simply...himself.

"Taint..." he questioned, trying to shift topics, "You mean the Abyss, don't you?"

Alvina's eyes narrowed, some of the amusement fading from her face, _"Yes, that darkness. I do not know how you've returned in such a form, or how it came about. But I know that terrible lingering scent."_

"So I stink?" Jack almost had the urge to laugh, "Well, thats just great."

His feline host also laughed at his quip, but not as much as she normally would have, _"Yes...you do reek just a smig, but not as much as I expected you to."_

"What?"

The feline raised a brow, examining Jack in the meanwhile, _"You are still tainted by the Abyss, that is a darkness that will never leave you. It is forever marked on your soul like a black spot. But it isn't as...potent as it should have be. It is almost if, something have driven it out of you as much as it can. Something I have...never seen before."_

The ancient keeper of the forest knew the Abyss. In the past, she had encountered it in great detail. And if Alvina knew anything, it was that the Abyss never releases something. Once the Abyss had its claws in you, you are forever bound to it. It was truly a darkness, one that would never go out. It was why the boy in front of her still had a lingering trace of the Abyss inside of him, the darkness would never fade completely.

But still, something had diminished it...but what? Alvina did not know.

Jack frowned and thought about this. Even with the experiences he now had inherited from Artorias...he wasn't sure what could have caused such a dramatic shift.

The darkness within him, the Abyss. Artorias had battled it as best he could, using every bit of will and power he had to combat it...but he failed. Not even the light from Lord Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight had helped him. The Abyss had just eclipsed everything he threw at it...turning everything to darkness.

So then, what had driven the darkness away? What could have done such a thing when nothing either Alvina or Artorias himself could explain?

But as these thoughts swirled in his head, Jack felt a small light emerge from one of his pockets.

Looking down, the teen reached into one of the very limited pouches that were scattered among Artorias' armor. Due to his skill in battle, Artorias normally had no need to carry around loads of healing items or anything, as his armor and shield were more than capable of protecting him.

However, what Jack pulled out from his pocket was not of Lordran origin. Hell, Jack himself had actually brought the device into the world. He had forgotten about it some time ago due to all the insanity he had been forced to endure, but now it was there...in his hands. Hell, Jack didn't even know what it was when he first realized that he had it...but now he remembered.

It was a key.

The Key to Vector Sigma.

And with it, something returned to the teen. A memory. It was nothing like what had happened before. It was a short, small memory when compared to what happened with Artorias. But despite its size, the small memory made so much of an impact on the teen.

* * *

><p><em>He remembered, the conversation he and Optimus had gotten into. Right before the Prime had left to deal with Unicron. <em>

_Optimus had given him the key, the Key to Vector Sigma, to hold onto it in case something had happened._

_And of course, something had._

_Upon defeating the monster that slept at Earth's core, Optimus' memories were erased. It left him as he was before the war had started, and the Decpticons had used this to their advantage. For before Optimus was a prime, he was a bot of knowledge called Orion Pax. He knew much about the history of his ancient people, and Megatron used that to his advantage to decode a cash of knowledge that could very well win the Cons the war._

_So to rescue their leader, the team had Jack and his partner, Arcee traveled to Cybertron. This was due to Optimus handing the key to Jack, intrusting him with the only way to restore the Prime to his former glory._

_And that's what they did. Jack and Arcee traveled to Cybertron and got what they needed. Sure, they had some bumps during the trip, but they succeeded. A success that was almost stolen when Megatron tried to halt their efforts, but he failed as well. Jack managed to restore Optimus and everything seemed to be won..._

_But then it happened._

_"Boy! You will suffer for that!"_

_In a rage, Megatron had attacked Jack just moments after Optimus had been restored, even managing to blast the teen square in the chest before anyone could do anything._

_"No!"_

_The last thing Jack saw before he was tossed back into the Ground Bridge was the horrified look on Bot's faces..._

* * *

><p>As the memory faded, Jack began to realize...<p>

What had happened before he awoke in Lordran, and maybe...why the Abyss had left him so significantly.

The Key was to Vector Sigma, a extremely powerful presence deep within Cybertron. Just from his experiences alone, Jack knew it was powerful. It had restored the memories of one of the most inspiring people in his life and after how Ratchet had spoke of it? Vector Sigma had to have been far more important than just being some super intelligence inside the core of the Autobot's planet.

And if nothing in Lordran could halt the Abyss...maybe the key had done it instead? It was something completely foreign to this world, and held power that no one in Lordran could possibly understand. Perhaps it had cleaned him of the Abyss, at least as much of it as it could.

But this also lead to another realization for Jack, what happened to him prior to waking up in Firelink Shrine.

Javed mentioned that he had found Jack in a set of strange clothes. The boy had guessed that he meant his normal attire, but in reality it was his space suit. The same one he used for his trip to Cybertron. The trip where he and Arcee had found Vector Sigma and retrieved what was necessary to restore Optimus' memories. Jack had needed the suit for the trip due to how toxic Cybertron's atmosphere was to humans...

And it had been destroyed...when Megatron blasted him in the chest with his Fusion Cannon.

The same cannon that could kill Cybertronians in one shot, that could melt steel with its heat alone. Jack had been shot with it, sending his smoking body flying back through one of the Ground Bridges. The same Ground Bridge they had used to travel to back to Earth from Cybertron

His burning, flesh seared body...unmoving.

_'Holy shit...'_ Jack realized, _'I died...'_

He had been dead before he would have even reached the portal. His corpse would have landed on Cybertron, left there to rot for the rest of its existence. He wouldn't haven even gotten another chance to breath before he exited that ground bridge. He should have died there, and it would have been the end of it. And yet, he hadn't.

_"Oh? What is that?"_

Snapping out of his thoughts, Jack realized that Alvina had asked him a question, "W-what?"

_"What is that, in your hands?" _she asked again, staring at the key with quite a bit of curiosity,_ "A amulet? A chime? Some left over from a land far from here?"_

Jack looked at the key, his hands tightening. Such descriptions were not fit for the key, it was so much more than just a amulet or a chime. But still, that wasn't something he was willing to share with the cat. For if Artorias knew anything, it was that felines were a tricky bunch, despite their intentions.

"It is a...gift," he simply said. It wasn't a lie, not completely, "Something a friend gave to me."

Alvina's eyes twinkled with something, something Jack wasn't sure he liked, _"Oh? Must have been quite a acquiescence. I can just feel the power emanating off it...its almost intoxicating."_

"Right." Jack mumbled. He really didn't want to talk about this, or whatever fascination the feline might have with the key. The last thing Jack needed was to have that feline ask for the key or anything. He still needed to return it to Optimus after all.

But such thoughts brought Jack to his other question, one that he had thought of during Alvina's mentioning of the Abyss.

Perhaps it had to do with Artorias and his own experiences with the Abyss, but something clicked within Jack's mind due to all of this talk about the darkness.

It was a long shot, a huge long shot. But Solaire had said that something might have been keeping Jack tethered to Lordran. Like he was anchored there, something keeping him there despite his use of the Homeward Bones. Such bones were meant to send him home, it was in their name after all. But despite that, Jack couldn't leave.

And now Jack knew that the Abyss still had a presence within his body, holding on to his soul as if he belonged to them...

* * *

><p><em>Flashback:<em>

* * *

><p><em>"Or perhaps there is something interfering with it?"<em>

_Javed scoffed, not believing that for a second. Even Jack had to admit...what could be messing with him like that? And why would they?_

_"It was just a suggestion," the knight admitted, "You mentioned how Sir Jack had no idea what had brought him to our dear Land of the Ancient Lords, so maybe what brought him here is also keeping him from leaving so easily?_

* * *

><p>"Alvina?" the cat's head popped up, showing that she was listening.<p>

"Where...would be the...closest connection to the Abyss? Just off the top of your head?"

The feline narrowed its eyes again, glaring at such a question. Luckily, this is exactly what Jack was hoping for. If she was uncomfortable with his question, then she knew more about it than just asking 'what?'

_"For what reason do you ask this of me?"_

Jack scowled, "Just tell me."

The feline frowned for a moment, remaining silent. If she told the boy in front of her where he should head, what is to stop him from simply repeating the same mistake twice? How would things be in different this time? And how could he stay free of the Abyss after it had corrupted him once?

But despite all of that, Alvina saw something in Jack's eyes. Determination that fit the armor he wore. A sense of duty that fit a Knight of Gwyn. And finally, she saw a small bit of hope in the teen. A hope that had been almost forgotten in the land of Ancient Lords. The Curse of the Undead had destroyed such hope for so many people, but Jack still had it regardless.

_"Tell me, what do you know about the former city of...New Londo?"_

* * *

><p><em><strong>New Londo<strong>_

_**Once a city known for its culture, New Londo was flooded by three sorcerers at the command of Lord Gwyn in order to contain the Darkwraiths and the Four Kings, killing its inhabitants in the process. **_

_**The City, once grand, became cursed when a serpent by the name of Darkstalker Kaathe tempted the rulers with a forbidden art. This act cursed the land, delving it deeper into the darkness that no one should willingly march into. The Darkness that claimed another land, a long time ago.**_

_**The Abyss.**_

_**With the Darkness spreading once again, the Lord of Sunlight had no choice but the sacrifice the city and everyone within it. They were all killed in the flood, a hefty price to be payed. But despite that, it worked. The Abyss was halted while the city was now reduced to lifeless ruins.**_

_**The dead now roam the ruins as ghosts, with more sinister enemies lurking beneath the frigid depths.**_

* * *

><p><em>Later:<em>

* * *

><p>"Come now, Sif."<p>

After walking out of the decaying building, Jack called to his companion. The massive wolf had spent most of the time just standing there, waiting for his friend while he conversed with Alvina. It was almost a humorous scene really, the sight of the massive sword wielding wolf waiting there like a loyal dog. What made it even better was the sight of all the Forest Hunters hiding in the woods, not even wanting to be near the massive beast.

Still, the fear on their faces weren't what Jack was focusing on. He had a destination in mind, somewhere he needed to go.

It was time he severed the head of the beast that had its hooks in him. If the Abyss thought it could hold him down, keeping him away from his friends and family, then it had another thing coming.

But of course, he couldn't just cut his ties to the Abyss so easily. It was a darkness, a monstrous entity that Jack couldn't comprehend. Hell, there was perhaps no one that could truly comprehend the Abyss, even those who served it willingly. The Abyss was darkness, shadows, and death incarnate.

So when Jack had asked Alvina how he might free himself, even temporarily, from its clutches she responded simply.

* * *

><p><em>"To free thyself from the Abyss, thou must cut your ties with its greatest influence in these lands at this time."<em>

* * *

><p>To put it simply, he had to kill a representative of the Abyss, one that was truly powerful. It wouldn't completely free him from the Abyss. Nothing that Jack or Alvina knew could do that. The teen would forever be tied to that darkness, even in death like Artorias had been. But still, it would weaken their connection long enough for Jack to flee, hopefully returning home with no other complications.<p>

And while Jack knew very little, if anything about this 'New Londo' place, he was willing to look into it as much as he needed to.

It was his only chance, one that Jack wasn't even sure that it would work. If anything, it was a gamble at best, and a fools hope at worst.

But hope, was more than worth it in his eyes.

As the armored teen started to make his way back through the woods, he ignored the hunters as they slowly edged themselves away from him. They knew something had changed about the boy and it wasn't just because of the massive wolf following behind him. The Hunters had been doing their job for quite some time, and they had seen many types of warriors. But this boy? When compared to how he acted earlier...he was completely different.

And he could kill them just as easy as the Wolf could.

Speaking of which though, Sif marched behind Jack for a moment or two before nudging him in the back yet again.

"Hm?" he asked, looking back at his companion, "What is it, my friend?"

The massive wolf gave the teen a questioning look, earning a small laugh from the boy. Sif likely wanted to know what they were doing. It's not like they could just head back to Ano Londo like they were coming back from a vacation. Where they were headed and what they were doing, it all was a mystery to the massive wolf. Especially since he had been cooped up in a grave site for years on end.

Besides knowing of the Undead curse, the world was unknown to Sif just as much as it was to Jack himself.

He needed action; Jack could see it in his eyes. As a warrior and beast, Sif needed something to do...and Jack had just the idea.

As Jack and Sif started to make their way back toward the entrance to the forest, Jack let out a small laugh while resting his sword on his shoulder.

"Simple my friend, are you up for a hunt?"

* * *

><p><em>Author notes:<em>

* * *

><p>-Last big info dump chapter for quite a while, I promise. There will be some action next time, with a ArtoriasJack too.

-Jack is still going to be referred to as Jack, not Artorias (except by those who only know Artorias, like Alvina). He is still Jack, and while he is Artorias too, Jack still sees himself as such. Hes just...more that JUST Jack now.

-So, in case you are confused about the memory thing at all, here is a simple version:

*Artorias' Soul was corrupted by the Abyss, its why it looked so different when compared to most souls we see in Dark Souls (most souls look like glowing lights, while Artorias' was more of a black flame). But when his soul joined with Jack, why wasn't Jack corrupted too?

*Simple, back in the chapter the transformation happens, there is a brief mention of a light glowing in Jack's pocket. That was the Key, which cleansed most of the Abyss from Artorias' soul. Jack is still tainted of course, but it is why he wasn't turned into what Artorias was when he died (a corrupted, insane monster).

* * *

><p><em>RxR! I would love to hear your comments!<em>


	10. The Forgotten City

RxR! I'd love to read your comments about all of this!

* * *

><p><em>Chapter: The Forgotten City.<em>

* * *

><p><strong><em>The Undead Parish:<em>**

* * *

><p>With his metal boots clattering against the ground, Jack let out a sigh while he marched back into a familiar looking church.<p>

The passage back to the Undead Parish had been far easier than the previous journey. The most marked improvement being that Jack was able to avoid re-climbing the cliff from if he had to exchange if for dealing with a few more Demonic shrubs, Jack was grateful. Not even the attitude he had gotten from Artorias would make the climb any better than before.

In fact, the idea of having to deal with that cliff again earned one thought from the teen.

* * *

><p><em>'SCREW THAT!'<em>

* * *

><p>One of the biggest changes overall however, was the addition of Sif joining the teen on his return trip. The massive wolf had made the passage of time go a bit slower due to his size, but he was more than capable of getting past obstacles that were far too small for him to fit through.<p>

For example, the stone tower Jack used in order to return to the Undead Parish? The same one where he and Javed had met the Blacksmith?

While the armored teen marched his way back through the ruined chamber and back up the staircases, his partner took another route. Such a route included climbing over the stone structure itself and meeting his friend on the other side. Jack could actually hear as the ancient structure cracked and groaned under the weight of the massive wolf, but he was not surprised at all when he found Sif waiting for him once he reached the surface.

To Sif in fact, it seemed like a game. Exploring a world he had been out of tune with for countless years. The Undead City had not existed the last time the Great Grey Wolf had explored Lordran's many lands, and it surely provided him with much surprise upon first glance.

Sightseeing was not on the to-do list however. Jack and his companion had a much more dire deed to accomplish at the time. Exploring ancient lands while discovering how they had changed in their absence would have to wait for a time.

Jack even chuckled at the wolf's eagerness, "Should have had him meet that stupid dragon, see how much fun he could have then."

However, the pair did have an issue 'Rear its Ugly Head' once they arrived at the Undead Perish. While walking past some slain hollows (the same ones Jack and Javed had slain during their first trip to the Undead city), Jack realized that Sif couldn't possibly follow him into the church. He was far too big, and couldn't possibly fit inside the lift Jack had to use in order to return to Fire-Link Shrine.

Despite that, Sif didn't seem worried. In fact, when Jack looked at the wolf with a bit of worry, Sif merely gave him a nudge before leaping on top of the church. With a small gesture following such an action, Sif vanished from Jack's field of vision and ran across the Church's roof.

He apparently had an idea about getting himself down, and would meet Jack down at Fire-Link Shrine in no time. It seemed like a hazardous idea for sure, but Jack tried not to worry about it. He had more than enough confidence when it came to the wolf's abilities and as a Knight of Gwyn, Jack knew more than to let such worries get to him (which was one of the better things he had gotten from Artorias in his opinion).

After all, what could seriously happen to the massive wolf that he couldn't deal with on his own?

"I'd actually worry about what finds him instead of the other way around." Jack mumbled while watching the wolf set off on his own path.

So with the duo split up for the moment, Jack continued on and entered the church without any worry. It was the fourth time he had been to the church so far (two times entering and two times exiting), and it would hopefully be his last visit as well.

As he entered the church however, the echoing footsteps of Jack's metal boots did attract some unwanted attention.

The Balder Knights, the trio of hollows that stood at the church's entrance noticed the teen's arrival and turned to face him. Jack's transformation had left him a bit less careful with sneaking around due to how much of a commanding presence he had become. He might not have felt like an almighty Knight (Jack was still humble, as much as he could be anyway) but Artorias had left that impression on him regardless.

So while he had been able to sneak past the knights prior to this; such wasn't the case at the moment.

However, the sight of the three hollows did not send the same chill up the armored teen's spine like it previously had. In fact, the grip on his sword was the only thing that changed when Jack caught sight of the three undead knights.

Unlike before; Jack no longer felt tension or any fear about fighting the hollows. They might have been human at one point, but something had changed. All the memories, all the experiences, and all the painful decisions and hardships that the Knight of Gwyn had gone through were now a part of the teen. The flesh he tore, the bones he sliced through, and all the heads he had taken. It was all there.

This did not only lead into Jack gaining his fighting skills; it also conflicted with and shifted his viewpoint on subjects as well. Fighting in particular.

He was no longer new to the aspect of spilling blood. In Jack's mind, he could recall numerous situations and experiences where he had slain something for better or worse. It might not have been physically him in reality, but in his mind and his soul…it had been.

For example, when two of the Bolder Knights rushed Jack, this became quite clear.

"Well then, shall we?" Jack spoke with a emotionless tone, his face hidden inside of his hood.

Instead of simply making a run for the lift, Jack stood his ground. The boy didn't even lift his sword off his shoulder until the knights were within a few feet of him.

But when he did act, it was in an instant.

The first of the hollowed Undead hadn't even bothered with its shield. Instead, it merely rushed Jack with its sword aimed to impale the teen through his stomach. As its arm began that movement however, Jack acted in such a manner that it would have shocked the hollow had its mind existed anymore.

With only using his left arm, Jack side-stepped the hollow and lifted his blade high with no visible effort and slammed it down. The reaction was quite instantaneous, the sword cut into the hollow with such a force that it split the creature in half without any resistance. In fact, his sword even left a massive crack in the ground upon impacting the stone floor. It was like cutting butter with a melting knife.

The second Balder Knight shot backward like a bullet once it saw the first get sliced in two. The Undead's mind might have been long gone at that point, but the hollow wasn't foolish enough to charge in like its cohort before it. So before charging Jack like the other had done, the hollow raised its shield in defense of itself before leaping into action.

But like before, Jack didn't even bother to react. In fact, he did absolutely nothing until the Hollow got within the rage of his sword. And despite the protection of its shield, the hollow was met suddenly with a similar fate as its companion. Instead of simply slicing the hollow in half though, Jack lashed out and sliced both the hollow and its shield in half at the waist.

The sound of half a shield and the hollow's torso falling to the ground followed such a responce, with only the Undead's legs standing upright for a few more seconds in the aftermath.

Dealing with the two undead in such a manner might have seemed amazing, but for a Knight of Gywn it seemed far too gracious for the Undead creatures. With both of them dealt with however, that just left one undead remaining.

Back at the entrance of the church, the final Balder Knight stood. It had a much smaller, rounder shield than the others and had wisely kept its distance. Perhaps it had some instincts left, something that just roared at the hollow to stay away, to leave Jack be.

Upon flicking off the small amount of blood he had gotten on his sword, Jack sent the hollow a glare. It was a piercing, burning hot glare that tore past the hollow's defenses and burned into the creature's lifeless eyes. It was like he was starting into what remained of the Undead's soul, warning it to stay where it was or else it would share the same fate as the Undead before it.

And despite not knowing it the creature could understand him, Jack was almost certain he noticed a small twitch of fear in the monster's eyes.

So when the hollow remained unmoving from its position, Jack let out a sigh and moved towards the lift once again. As he turned his back though, the hollow let out a small growl and stepped one foot closer to the teen.

Something, it would regret for some time.

It was a tiny sound. The hollow's foot had crushed a small rock the moment it took a step forward. But that was all Jack needed. Without any warning or sign that he was going to do anything, Jack suddenly spun around and shot towards the undead. He was like a blur, running through the church and closing the distance between him and the hollow in a one brief moment. And once he had done that?

The hollow was hoisted into the air, Jack's sword having impaled the former knight just as easy as stabbing a marshmallow.

Jack's eyes remained forward, not even looking the hollow in the face as the blood dripped down his sword. He had given the creature a chance, but it had refused him, and now it was paying the price.

Several seconds passed, the hollow slowly gasping as the tainted life it had been forced to live drained out of the wound. Jack said not a word, standing there in silence. But once the Knight's fruitless attempts to struggle ceased, the teen let out a sigh and slid the corpse off his blade.

The Undead's body collapsed onto the ground, joining the others in a brief moment of rest. But Jack knew that would not last. They were cursed, cursed to return over and over again. It was their curse, a curse of immortality and of unending pain.

Upon sheathing his sword, Jack let out a sigh and gazed at the ruined corpses. They had been so much more at one point, proud knights who knew more than just killing and fighting. But the curse, it had taken so much from them. It had left once proud humans as walking corpses, doing nothing but bringing death to themselves and others.

If Jack had one regret about what he had just done, it would be that...he couldn't free them from their curse.

"I..." Jack hesitated, staring at the corpse for a moment or two, "...I'm sorry."

With a shiver running through the boys body, Jack turned on his heel and departed from the scene. He left the corpses there, to rot and decay while their owners returned at a later point, to continue their cursed existence for the rest of their miserable lives.

Perhaps one day, someone would find a way to free them from their curse. To give them the peace they deserved.

But, that person would not be Jack. He had his own mission, his own reason to be in such a land. He wanted to help them, he truly. But, that was not something he could do. Lordran was not his home and the Curse was not his problem. This might have been Artorias talking but...

Jack just wanted to go home.

* * *

><p><em>Fire-Link Shrine.<em>

* * *

><p>"Back again? Well this is a surprise."<p>

Jack repressed a sneer as he marched his way back into Fire-Link Shrine. He had decided to return to the safe haven for the moment, but with both Siegmeyer and Javed gone, the teen found himself stuck with the most irritating person he knew in Lordran.

Sure, the Crestfallen Warrior was non-hostile to the teen and merely sat around all day, but his comments were more than enough to drive the teen into a rage. It was strange actually. Jack remembered the Crestfallen Warrior unnerving him at first, but now he was just irritating. The teen blamed that change on the influence from Artorias, but it didn't change just how much the washed up warrior angered the teen.

Still, Jack had more self control than that and merely walked past the irritating Undead, "Yes, why is this still a shock to you?"

The Knight shrugged, showing just the same amount of effort as he normally did, "Just a mere observation, that tis all."

"Right." the teen muttered while taking a seat as far as he could from the Knight, "And observation."

Despite his normally irritating and fowl ridden mood, the Crestfallen Warrior sent Jack another look. Such glances made the teen's skin crawl, as if he was being looked over be a corpse, which wasn't too far off when it came to how the warrior normally acted.

"So," he chuckled, his armor clanking a tad as he did so, "What brings you back here? Tired of these lands, the pearls of the cursed lands too much for thou?"

Jack let out an annoyed sigh at that, "No, I have not. I am merely waiting for a friend."

If there was one thing that Jack DIDN'T want to do, it was staying at Fire-Link Shrine with that Knight. Truthfully, the teen was merely waiting for Sif to arrive so they could make plans for where to go next. New Londo was their next destination but Jack still had little idea of how to get to such a place. Alvina had only told him so much about the place itself.

"Friend?" the sickly knight chuckled, "You've gotten yourself a friend? In this barren land"

The way the man laughed made Jack's fist clinch. It was like he had absolutely no faith in the boy, despite the transformation Jack had gone through or the things he had done. This was the same knight who believed that Javed should have just killed Jack, that he could never survive in Lordran. And yet, there Jack was. Still standing despite what the knight had said.

All of his taunts and disrespectful comments made the teen have the urge to shut him up for good. To silence his constant complaining and belittling.. At the least, he wanted to punch the undead across the face, to shatter his mouth along with the small amount of a beard he had, something that could give the teen some peace for all the time he had to remain in the Knight's presence.

Which hopefully wouldn't be for that much longer.

However, he did have another way to silence the knight without having to resort to knocking his teeth out. That arrived just a few moments later, from somewhere the knight…wouldn't have expected.

Looking back toward the church that sat just a short walk away, Jack took a long gaze at the tree that sat above the structure.

Known as an haven for the undead, a place to rest, Fire-Link Shrine also had another aspect that was known fairly well throughout Lordran.

Sitting just above the ruined church was a colossal tree, its branches going off in nearly every direction. It was gigantic, easily going as high as the wall of stone that sat towering over the small piece of paradise in all of Lordran. If anything, the tree reminded undead of the tales from before the Age of Fire, before Ano Londo, and even before the First Flame ever even came into existence.

The Massive trees, the same ones that once supported the world back during the time of the Everlasting Dragons. They were impossibly large, so big that people could live inside them if they could. Once known as Arch-Trees, these magnificent structures little the world. And while many of the trees had been destroyed during the war with the dragons, tales of their wonder still exist to the current era.

"Why, yes." Jack smirked from under his hood, "I have made a friend, and he should be arriving in...just about now..."

The strange look that Jack earned from the Knight due to this was almost enough to make him chuckle. However, the teen saved that moment of glory for later. Instead, he directed the Crestfallen Warrior's gaze upward, toward the tree that stood over their heads.

"Aye, what are you..."

The question died in the Warrior's throat like all the other creatures Lordran had claimed throughout the years. For above the armor wearing duo was a something large and white, jumping from tree branch to tree branch as it made its way down to the ground below. It eventually landed on the church's roof, but by that point the Warrior had been struck silent.

In fact, it nearly looked like the Warrior's eyes were going to pop out of his rotten head when he saw Sif jump down and land right behind Jack.

"Ah," Jack smiled, turning to face the massive beast standing before him, "I was wondering how you were going to get down."

The massive wolf tilted his head slightly, earning a small laugh from Jack. The Crestfallen Knight couldn't understand what was going on around him, but all he knew was that...maybe insulting Jack wasn't the best idea at the moment. After all, he might have been disillusioned during his own life as an undead but that didn't mean he wanted to be a massive wolf's chew toy.

Jack let out a chuckle, "Well, how was I to know about that, hm? You looked like Alvina when you descended from the tree like that."

Sif let out a small growl at that comment and nudged Jack, nearly knocking the teen off his feet. But, that merely earned a laugh from the teen, glad to see that Sif hadn't lost his sense of humor after being stuck in a depressing place for so long. It would have been a great loss to the already dire world that was Lordran.

"Anyway," Jack chuckled lightly, "I do have something to ask you, sir."

Patting Sif on the snout for a second or two, the armored teens stepped away from his furry companion and marched over toward the disillusioned undead. The man in question quickly backed away, more cautious than anything. After all, the man's fear of death had disappeared quite a long time ago. He had died far too many times already, so such a thing was a mere annoyance if still, that did not mean that he wouldn't want to avoid getting mauled by a giant wolf.

So when Jack lifted the Knight off the ground, the Crestfallen Warrior let out a miserable sigh.

"Alright then," he grumbled, "What is it that thou desires? For if it my wisdom you seek, I have only one real piece of advice to give thou."

Jack shoot his head. He had already heard the Warrior's 'advice' once before. Hell, the Crestfallen Warrior reminded the teen of his 'advice' every time they saw each other. And each time, Jack would give him the same answer each time.

The Teen shook his head, "No, not that. I have no time to sit around and rot. Instead, I need information from you, and not the type of withering banter you spew day in and out."

The Undead raised a brow at that, the bags under his eyes looking even darker for the moment, "Oh? And what is that?"

Jack narrowed his eyes at the undead, Sif having marched up behind his companion and looked over his shoulder as well. The two warriors were glaring quite heatedly at the undead, something that made the warrior gasp. It was like he was frozen, their gazes freezing him on the spot. They had a impossibly painful powerful aura, like two devils staring into his soul...or what was left of it.

"Tell me, " Jack lifted the man straight up to his face, the undead's feet just dangling in the air.

"Do you know how to get to the ruins of New Londo?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Later, Underneath Fire-Link Shrine:<strong>_

* * *

><p>The feeling, was almost impossible to describe.<p>

In his skin, his boots, his armor, and his sword. Jack could feel something crawling over every inch of his body. Even his sword felt unnaturally cold, as if something was unsettling even the piece of steel in his hands. As the teen traveled deeper into the world's dark underbelly, he could feel so much around him. Darkness, death, suffering. He could feel it all. And if it wasn't a chill going down his spine, then it was a stench tearing through his nose.

The first one Jack had noticed (much to his displeasure) was a terrible, rotten stench. One of bodies, rotten and left to die. A smell that told all the injustices that had gone on down beneath the Undead haven. The sins, and the great pain that had been brought onto everyone who once lived there. The things that had been done to contain a much greater evil. But despite that, Jack could feel how much pain still lived beneath his boots...

And he wasn't even there yet.

With almost inhumanly strong chains pulling it, a large elevator slowly descended with Jack standing at its center. His shield and sword were attached to his back and the teen had his arms crossed with a scowl upon his face. Jack was still rather upset that Sif would have to take another route in order to join him in such a dark and infested place. But, there wasn't much he could do about however.

When the Crestfallen warrior had told them about the secret passage underneath Fire-Link Shrine, things quickly became clear that Sif would have to take an alternate route if he was to join Jack on his mission. After all, Sif was just too large for the elevator, something that was actually becoming quite an issue as their journey continued on.

_'First that church and now this...'_ Jack muttered to himself, _'This place really must not see that many giant wolves that often.'_

The wolf was surely going to be annoyed once he arrived, but that was something Jack had to figure out on his own. But for the moment, the teen just had to wait and see what New Londo would have in store for him. The only information he could go off from at the moment was from either Alvina's words or the final comment the Crestfallen Warrior, who had given Jack one small bit of info before they had departed.

* * *

><p><em>"If thou are truly heading down there, please give the residents a greeting from me!" he laughed, the sickly and tired sound of his voice echoing through the air.<em>

_"I'm sure they'd be more than happy due to the new friend that'll be joining them!"_

* * *

><p>A shiver went down Jack's spine, "I knew I should have punched him when I had the chance."<p>

With the memory of the undead fading from his mind however, Jack slowly waited as the lift descended down even further into the cursed lands. The journey itself wasn't that long but without Sif and the stench that was swirling around him...well, it felt a bit longer than it was.

The lift did eventually come to a stop however, an eerie silence filling the room once the sound of chains came to a halt. The entire room became pitch black, the light from the surface having vanished about halfway through the descent. The old and ruined door was the only source of light from then onward, barely even giving Jack enough light to see three feet in front of him. So with a sigh, Jack made his way forward and stepped through the door into his destination.

Quickly finding himself at the top of a ruined structure, Jack held his breath as he gazed off into the ruined landscape before him.

It was massive, an sprawling structure that wasn't that far off in the distance. Several ruined towers stood above a lake of water with a much larger building at the center of it all. A large makeshift pathway had been built over toward the structures, even the wood looking dead and decayed. Jack could practically feel a darkness swirling within the old, decayed building, something that almost mirrored the fog that swirled around the waters as well.

The entire land felt cursed, tainted...ruined.

Jack shook himself, fortifying himself against such feelings, "Well, at least...the name fits."

Upon finally arriving, Jack let out a sigh and started to make his way into the ruined remains of the undead city. The atmosphere, even after arriving felt just wrong to the boy. He could feel himself shiver as he walked down an aged set of stairs. It was like something was watching him, hundreds of 'somethings' swirling in the shadows around him. However, upon reaching the end of the stairs, Jack was met with a very real and fairly disturbing sight.

Hollows, more than at least a dozen hollows. All nothing but shriveled up corpses, standing around with nothing but a tiny scrap of clothing and a broken sword in their hands.

All of them were utterly decayed, without even the slightest sign of intelligence in their eyes. Their bodies, their souls, their minds, everything seemed utterly lost. They weren't even doing anything. Just standing around like wondering flies, holding a broken sword in their hands. Completely passive, thats what they were. They didn't want to fight, didn't want to kill. The hollows just wanted to be left alone in their suffering.

They were merely lost, left down in the darkness with everything else in New Londo.

Shifting passed the hollowed creatures, Jack felt himself shiver, "Good, god..."

None of the hollows he had seen prior were like this, these were just barely hanging on. There was no life in their eyes, no purpose. Their eyes glowed an eerie light but that was all. It somewhat reminded Jack of a small flame, but teen knew it wasn't a spark of life. It was the curse, the only thing keeping these creatures in such a pathetic existence.

Could these creatures be compared to the terrible Terrorcons that Megatron had created? In Jack's mind, they couldn't. At least the Terrorcons had the chance to experience a blissful release before returning to life. To have their spark go out and move on to whatever was waiting for them. But the hollows? These poor undead never had even the chance to be free. The moment the curse was upon them, the humans were cursed to shrivel up and decay. Both their minds and their bodes with nothing they could do to save themselves.

The Dark-Sign was unending, unstoppable. Just like the Abyss.

Curse aside however, Jack continued on his way. He ignored the Hollows as he continued onward, even crossing over the dangerous and...narrow bridge in the process. It was massive in design and had been constructed to reach the remains of New Londo. How someone had made these pathways, Jack had no idea. With the hollows being the only residents of this forgotten kingdom...Jack could only guess as to how and why they had been constructed.

Although, how the bridge was made wasn't on Jack's mind at the moment. Instead, he was more concerned if the bridge could even hold his weight.

Jack could even practically see the bridge creak as he crossed it, "First a ladder, and now this..."

The teen's luck with aged, wooden methods of transport had been quite poor as of late. Unlike the previous encounter with the ladder though, the wooden bridge did not collapse underneath Jack's weight. Something that made Jack quite happy since it would have meant for a rather nasty swim for the heavily armored teen.

"No thanks..." Jack mumbled, reaching the end of the bridge with sigh.

Not only did Jack fear that he would have sunk faster than a cinder-block, but there was something unsettling about that water as well. That water had killed more than its share of people when it was used to flood the now ruined city. And even though the water seemed clear, Jack could sense the resentment just bubbling underneath its surface.

"And I thought my own grave felt unnerving..."

The entire city, from the moment Jack had stepped out of the elevator felt unnerving. Like something was squirming just underneath the stoney surface of the man-made city. In fact, the teen could have sworn he even felt as if he was being constantly watched, and it wasn't the hollows. It was something angry, something dark...and something that still lived despite all the evidence that said otherwise.

But as Jack marched into the remains of the ruined city, the same city that had been sacrificed to halt the spread of the Abyss, something shot through him. It was a terrible sensation, as if something had passed through him, cursing him in the process.

The teen ripped his sword from his back and snapped around, prepared to cut down anything that stood in his way. But what Jack saw was no beast he could slay, no hollow he could return to the fire. Instead, there was a figure, floating among a flooded portion of the ruins.

It was clothed in a long flowing robe that was tattered, ragged, and just barely hanging onto the figure's body. But in truth, there wasn't that much left to hang onto. Instead of a human body, the strange figure was mostly just a skeleton, pale and deformed. Instead of normal bone though, the apparition's arms were long, deformed blades that seemed itching to cut something as painfully as it could. But the most shocking part of the strange figure?

It was transparent. Jack could see right through the figure's body.

Jack might not have been a superstitious person, but after experiencing the things he had while in Lordran, the teen could only make one guess for what he was looking at. Along with the sensations he had been feeling, the chills crawling up his spine, and the tale of the city who had been sacrificed for the greater good...

The spirits of New Londo were restless. They were angry, furious for the fate they had been dealt...and they were alive...

...and seeking their revenge...

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><p><em>Author's Comments:<em>

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><p>-Yep, I had take care of those Balder Knights. Felt like a nice way to compare how Jack had changed from when he first saw them. He got sick at the sight of them but now? He can cut them down no problem while still feeling sorry for them.<p>

-Sorry if this seemed like a short chapter, but we are getting very close to the end of the first portion of this story. I can bet many of those who have played Dark Souls know whats coming soon. And do not worry! Sif will return next chapter.

-Sorry if I made the Crestfallen Warrior seem OOC. I'm not that sure what I could have done for such a depressed character like him. I also thought he would have been quite surprised to see Sif. After all, he is a giant wolf with a sword on his back after all. He didn't freak out but, he would have been surprised.

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><p><em>RxR! I would love to hear your comments!<em>


	11. Restless Spirits

__RxR! I would love to hear your comments!__

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><p><em>Chapter: Restless Spirits<br>_

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><p><em>Within the piles of bone and rot...we wait.<em>

_Among the cracked and salted stone...we simmer._

_For so long, we have been trapped here, tossed away by our lord. _

_Our land having been pillaged by those monsters from the dark, and yet our final solution came with water and death. _

_We were not saved, simply sacrificed like cattle for our lord's Age of Fire._

_But there is no fire here, there is only death. _

_And death is what shall await any who come within these lands, for our wrath shall be swift and merciless. _

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><p><strong>New Londo Ruins:<strong>

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><p>"What the hell…?" Jack muttered.<p>

Within the bowels of a long forgotten city, Jack found himself facing creatures like none he had ever seen before. They were neither undead nor hollow. They weren't demons or monsters of the Abyss. They were no beasts or Dragons he had ever seen. And they were not among the light or the living, the dark or the undead.

Phantoms, spirits of the deceased and fallen. It was the only description that Jack could imagine for such apparitions. With a transparent form, long jagged blades tightly gripped in their boney hands, and a skeletal body hidden underneath a long tattered cloak, these monsters seemed completely otherworldly when compared all others. With a murderous and unnatural hatred seeping off of them like a pungent smell, the ravenous poltergeists slowly shifted towards Jack with their blades held in ready.

It wasn't just one spirit however, there were dozens of them. The hordes of phantoms were coming from every direction, like a fog slowly rolling in. Emerging out from the walls, the ground, and even from the ruined buildings themselves, the spirits seemed unending.

Jack gritted his teeth and kept his guard up, watching every ghost as they approached. Their arms slowly reached out for him, the blades inching themselves closer like a Reaper's scythe.

He could feel their presence reaching out to him, their haunting thoughts echoing into his mind.

"Get away…" Jack growled, sneering at the phantoms.

A forceful, powerful, and commanding aura filled the teen. His stance grew tight, the grip on his sword never faulting, and his gaze was as hard as steel.

"…I said…"

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><p><em><strong>"Be, Gone!"<strong>_

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><p>Turning on his heel, Jack let out a furious howl and swiped his blade around in a sweeping arc. The massive and ancient blade flew through the air, gliding through the phantoms with little effort at all. As a result, many of the spirits were sliced in half by Jack's sword with more than a few of them vanishing into a pale mist as a result. Even more of them were blown away with his blow's aftershock, the wind from his strike rushing off in every direction.<p>

But despite cutting down more than a large sum of the restless spirits, the once lively residents were not defeated so easily. Even after being split in two, many of the spirits simply reformed like nothing had happened while others simply reemerged from the depths of the forgotten city.

They were not so easily defeated by brute force alone. Their hatred and resentment toward nearly everything they saw was far too powerful for that.

Backing away, Jack looked around for an escape route. He was not one for running away, but with their unending numbers and his inability to keep them down for the count, the teen saw no other option in front of him.

So instead of staying put, Jack took off toward the ruins in front of him with the ghosts slowly shifting after him. It was the only way he could go, as heading back the way he came would only have delayed his progress even further.

As he ran though, Jack couldn't help but consider his situation in full.

During his entire stay in Lordran, he had fought many things. Demonic Plants, Hollowed humans, a impressive Black Knight, and even gained the memories of battles that had long since ended. But despite all of that, he had never in all of his life ever imagined himself being attacked by ghosts of all things. They had been simply tales his mother had told him when he was a child or even just subjects of B-grade horror movies.

Gritting his teeth together, Jack cursed his situation, "If I knew these damn things were here, I would have been more prepare or...or..."

Suddenly, the teen's mind froze. By just thinking about it, Jack felt a memory from not too long ago return to him.

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><p><em>Flashback:<em>

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><p><em>"If thou are truly heading down there, please give the residents a greeting from me!" he laughed, the sickly and tired sound of his voice echoing through the air.<em>

_"I'm sure they'd be more than happy due to the new friend that'll be joining them!"_

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><p>"That prick!" Jack cursed, his grip tightening, "He knew about this and didn't say anything!"<p>

Alvina had simply told the teen about the legend surrounding the ruins but the Knight? He was the one who told Jack about the place it self. Where it was, how to get to it, and what it might be like. But despite all of that, he hadn't mentioned even once that the place might have been filled with ghosts!

Such a realization wasn't something that completely surprised the teen. After all, the warrior who constantly defiled Fire-Link Shrine with his presence had always seemed to be a more self serving person. In a way, he was hollowed too. But instead of his soul or his body, his heart had been hollowed instead. It was why he was so cold and unfeeling to everyone around him, because he simply did not care anymore.

Despite his rage at the Crestfallen Knight, Jack continued to run toward the ruins, even if his mind had become a bit clouded itself. As he ran past the phantoms however, Jack was unable to react in time as one of the spirits swirled upward from the cursed land and appeared right in front of him.

But instead of simply colliding with the phantom, the teen went...through it.

Physically it was quick, just like running through a wall of fog. But in his mind, Jack felt such things for that single moment. It was like a cold shower, nails poking at his skin for a split second. There were images too, things he had no idea how to decipher. They were cracked, unclear, and decayed…but he could still make out a few things from it all.

* * *

><p><em>Chaos…running through the streets.<em>

_Black figures with bones running through their attire, wielding gigantic swords._

_They grabbed helpless people, all who were trying to run for their lives and forced them to the ground. The figure's hands glowed, a dark crimson aura flowing throughout their limbs as they reached for the person's neck and…_

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><p>"Gah!" Jack gasped, tripping up slightly.<p>

Stopping right at the base of a large set of stairs. The path was carved into a large chunk of stone but also sat right in the middle of a large pile of rubble. The rubble seemed to originate from the ruins themselves, with a tower having decayed after the long centuries. But despite the escape route, Jack couldn't move from the stop he had stopped at.

A sharp pain suddenly exploded within his mind, a foreign influence having taken hold of him once again.

So many emotions assaulted his mind. There was the pain, the unspeakable pain of being trapped within the ruined city. Of the betrayal, the soul crushing feeling that resonated throughout the entire ruins once the flooding began. And of course, there were the memories.

It appeared to be visions at first, as if seeing through someone else's eyes. Watching as the city was consumed in chaos, as people in almost skeletal attire hunted down others, ripping their intestines out with a massive sword, and of course, there was the water.

A massive torment of water, spiraling through the city like an unstoppable force. Watching it crash and obliterate everything in its path. Being forced to watch as others tried in vain to escaped its unparalleled force as humans, undead, and even buildings were swept away. To feel the water grab you, consume you. To experience an unstoppable amount being forced down your throat, the last excruciating moments in your life spent watching as you sank into a endless void...

"No!" Jack stopped himself, refusing to be consumed by these emotions, "I don't have...time for this!"

Such a notion was reinforced when Jack felt something come within a inch of touching his neck. Upon feeling this, he snapped around and cut down the culprit itself. His sword cut a rather gruesome phantom in half, but that did not stop it. Such a move didn't even slow the spirit down. With that and the rest of the spirits quickly honing in on him, Jack quickly continued on his way without hesitation.

He started with scaling up the nearby staircase, not even bothering with walking up the steps like a normal person. Instead, he simply used the staircase as two giant steps themselves, leaping from one to the other until he reached the area beyond them. Once he landed however, the teen took a moment to notice his surroundings.

A ruined tower surrounded him, one that had been heavily worn down from either time or the elements themselves. The lower portions of the walls remained but everything above them had been lost. The tiles on the floor were still intact as well, but weeds and various plants were now adorning the ground as well. Along all of this destruction was also a massive cliff to the far right side of the ruins, likely where a portion of the tower had once been.

No time was left to examine the ruins however. Jack was quickly reminded of the looming threat when even more ghosts started to rise from New Londo's ruined streets. It was almost as if Jack was marching on their graves, and the phantoms wanted his blood for such a transgression.

"Shit!" he cursed himself before rushing forward with sword in hand. Jack easily pounded the phantoms into the dirt with his massive sword but like before, it was pointless. The ghosts continued to rise, hunting after him like a plague.

With fighting not a viable option at the moment, the teen instead looked for a way to escape the frenzied spirits. But much to his misfortune, there were only two paths he could see that may have led to an escape from the monstrous spirits.

One was a simple, worn down bridge that stood to his side. The panels that covered its surface had began to fall off due to decay but the bridge itself seemed sturdy. Such a path led directly into the massive ruins that towered over New Londo, perhaps leaving Jack with a temporary reprieve if he could reach it.

But the other was a simple opening just off to Jack's side, through the remains of the tower that he was standing on. It was a large pathway of pillars that stood far above the water that had consumed the city. It was sturdy for sure, but it also would require a leap of faith in order to reach it.

_'Scrap,__ where is a quarter when I need it?!'_ he painfully mused, wishing for something to make his decision easier._  
><em>

Both ideas swirled within Jack's head, his mind working on finding out which one was the better option. A dangerous trip inside the ruins, or a leap of faith. Either one could have meant death for the teen, either by the ghosts overwhelming him while inside the ruins or missing his mark and falling into the water below. It was not a decision Jack could make easily...

However, time was not something in an generous supply. During his contemplation of what to do, Jack was caught off guard by yet another ghost. The phantom slithered out from the ground like a snake and perched itself right behind the teen while he was distracted. Given one more second and Jack would have found himself with the phantom's knives digging into his back like a rusty nail.

Luckily though, the ghost's subtle moaning gave Jack more than enough time to react, resulting in his fist twisting around and smacking into the spirit's translucent body. Such a attack didn't harm the ghost but it did give Jack the reason to do perhaps one of the most foolish things he could have done.

_'Screw it!'_

Taking off in a dead run, Jack ran past the bridge and made a beeline towards the cliff. The phantoms reached out in a attempt to ensnare the warrior as he ran, but Jack was too quick for them. The vengeful residents were merely forced to watch as Jack sheathed his sword and leaped into the air once he reached the cliff-side.

Time seemed to slow down as Jack soared through the air, his armor just barely weighing him down. It was yet another time where he was thankful for the power he had gained, as the teen was unsure he could have ever made such a jump prior to his transformation. However, during this moment, Jack felt his gaze lower towards the water by accident.

He hadn't meant to, it was just a reflex. But at the very moment his eyes even peaked at the black water, Jack felt himself freeze at what he saw.

The water was black, as black as the darkness that swirled around the ruins themselves. A darkness, a evil feeling crawled underneath his skin. He saw gruesome figures, terrifying abominations just floating beneath the water's surface. It was an sensation the teen had felt before, in his memories. Artorias had gazed into this darkness once before and now, Jack was reliving that same moment as well.

It was the Abyss, hiding just underneath the waves that had swallowed the once proud city of New Londo.

Jack felt his skin crawl so much that he nearly forgot about the platform he was jumping to. Such a absence of the mind sent the teen flying straight into the pillars with a crash, the ancient debris smashing down onto his body during the impact. Rubble buried the teen from nearly his head to his toes, the weight of the stones so massive that a normal human would have been crushed in a second.

But, this was no ordinary human.

"Ow..." Jack groaned, pushing himself upward despite the weight of the debris. In fact, he merely pushed them off of himself without even a hint of effort.

Standing on his own two feet, Jack cracked his back and looked around for a moment. The ghosts were still floating in the distance, having not given up on their chase as of yet. But with the small amount of distance he had been able to gain between them, Jack didn't wait for his pursuers to chase after him.

Instead, the teen raced across the pillar-filled pathway, his attention divided between the path in front of him and the phantoms chasing him.

_'Okay, just need to...just need to...'_ Jack hastefully thought, _'Damn it! What now!?'_

Originally, Jack had arrived with the plan to search through the city until he found what he needed. But with the hordes of unruly spirits chasing after him, such a concept was no longer possible. He couldn't just explore or else he would be at risk of being overwhelmed. Hell, Jack couldn't even go back the way he came unless he wanted to go through all the phantoms yet again.

_'There has to be...something?!'_

His plea would go unanswered however, as Jack quickly found himself at the end of the pillar-lined pathway.

A large staircase stood to his left, aged stairs that lead down further into the ruins and into a ominous looking building. Such a structure also stood in front of the teen, its aged bricks still standing despite the years that had passed. It was one of the few buildings in the ruins that hadn't fallen to decay or destruction, and yet it still had the same ominous presence as the rest of the damned city.

Looking up at it however, Jack could see that the building wasn't that much taller than where he was standing at that very moment. In fact, Jack guessed that he could easily jump onto the roof if he needed to. That would have proven difficult however, as a metal fence also ran around the roof's perimeter, something that would have peaked the teen's curiosity if he had a chance to notice it.

However, an eerie chill ran up Jack's spine before he could question such a thing. Looking back, he scowled at the sight of several phantoms slowly shifting in his direction. Several more Spirits even began to rise from the same pillar-filled pathway, easily cutting off any way for Jack to backpedal back the way he came.

So with that in mind, Jack took a deep breath and bent his legs. With the Phantoms just within spitting distance of the teen, Jack leaped toward the massive structure and flew well over it. Unlike the pathway he had made a similar jump to, Jack sailed over the building and the fence that surrounded the roof, eventually landing him smack down back into the center of the roof.

The thunderous crash shook the building, making a large amount of dust to fall from the structure's ceilings. Despite that however, Jack was quick to his feet with his sword in hand. He hadn't been able to stay still for less than a minute since arriving in the ruins, so Jack had more than a good reason to keep his guard up.

There was no way he was going to let anything get the jump on hi-

"Well, this is a surprise."

Blinking, Jack looked around suddenly. The spirits hadn't spoken a single word since the boy had first encountered them. A small moan or hiss had escaped from them sure but nothing even close to and actual word. Jack didn't even think they could speak, as they were nothing but bones for the most part.

Shifting around with his guard more than ready, Jack quickly spotted a new figure standing off near the edge of the building's roof. Due to flying over him, the teen had not noticed the person earlier. In fact, the ghost's had taken the teen's attention to such a degree that he even missed him while standing below the building.

Such a feat was quite remarkable, especially due to what the figure was wearing.

Due to the sound of the person's voice, it was quickly determined that the figure was a man, one dressed in a long flowing red robe. The cloth had been through a lot from what the teen could tell due to its rough condition. Not only was its tattered in several places but the red coloring of the attire had grown dull as well, almost as if it had been overused. One of the more unique parts of his attire though was the figure's hat. With a long pointed hood covering his head, the strange man also wore a large beak-like mask over his face. In fact, if Jack could have compared such a thing to anything, then he could have sworn that the mask was similar to the type of masks a plague doctor would wear during the middle ages.

The man's hands were occupied as well, with one hand holding a lone metal rod with pointed ends that made it almost appeared to be a javelin and the other holding a large knife with a ring at the end of its handle.

"I don't get many visitors, except for ghosts." the man spoke, "Do you have some business here?"

The tense atmosphere slowly dispersed while the man spoke, Jack feeling less worried than he had moments before. The man didn't hold himself up like a warrior would. In fact, a good description for the man's body language was...tired. Just tired.

Letting his shoulders slump slightly, Jack lowered his blade and awkwardly scratched the back of his head, "Well...yes actually."

Seeing a seemingly friendly face among the dangerous ruins was something that greatly surprised the teen, a fact that was only reinforced when the man approached the him. His bare feet didn't seem to mind the rough condition of the roof they were on, the man's voice quite cheerful despite how old he sounded.

"Ah, very well then." the old man nodded, "My name is Ingward. I'm an old man, bound to these parts. But I don't mind a chat, I may even be of some help."

Help.

Now, help was something Jack was quite interested in at that very moment. With his pathway through ruins so clouded and deluded with spirits, Jack felt that at least some guidance would help immensely. At least, something to help point him in the direction he needed to go in. To find a way through the cursed city and locate his target, the creatures of the Abyss he needed to locate and destroy.

As the man approached Jack however, he stopped for a moment and tilted his head to the side. His eyes couldn't be seen due to the mask on his face but Jack could have sworn that the old man was looking at him quite intently.

"Is...there something wrong?" Jack asked Ingward, feeling a bit uneasy due to the man gazing at him for so long. It was like he was examining him, looking over the teen for a bit longer than was necessary.

After a few seconds of contemplating, Ingward shook his head, "Ah, no. Sorry. Its just...you remind me of someone I once knew...hm."

Looking at the young (and surprisingly tall) man, the old man couldn't help but feel a bit of familiarity towards the boy. Maybe it was his armor, his weapons, or even the teen's overall aura. It was powerful, ancient, and maybe even a bit dark as well. Either way, Ingward couldn't help but feel as if he had seen Jack before. Somewhere within his long, long life.

"You do?" Jack mumbled, having a bad feeling about such a thing.

Joining with a powerful, ancient, and well known warrior while gaining his appearance had made Jack a bit concerned when it came to people confusing him with the old Knight. They shared the same appearance, equipment, and the fact that the armor's hood also hid Jack's face more often than not didn't help either. In his heart, Jack worried that someone might react similarly to how the Black Knight had back in the Darkroot Basin...

However, his worries were put aside when Ingward waved off the boy's question, "Ah, think nothing of it. I have lived a long life and more often than not, things can become rather...similar to my memories."

Releasing a small sigh of relief (Jack still worried what might of happened if he met someone besides Alvina and Sif who knew about Artorias), the teen straightened himself up and extended a hand toward the old man, "Well then, my name is Jack. Nice to meet you Ingward."

"Of course!" Ingward replied, taking the teens hand in his own (after sheathing the knife he had), "Its nice to meet you as well. It has been quite a long time since I had seen someone. This city has seen better days."

Jack bit back a laugh, "I bet. This place is a bit of a dump."

"But if you don't mind me asking, why are you even here?" he asked, "This place seems a bit...dangerous. You know, all the ghosts and everything."

Even without factoring the ghosts, Jack couldn't help but scratch his head at the idea of staying in New Londo any longer than one would have to. The ruins themselves weren't in any great condition, many of the buildings haven fallen to disrepair while the landscape itself felt tainted too. It was a bit hard to believe that someone could or even want live in such a place for any amount of time.

At that question, Ingward sighed and turned his gaze toward the landscape around him, "The reason, is because I am the Guardian of the Seal. I watch over the Four Kings, the masters of the Darkwraiths."

Taking a step or two towards the roof's edge, the old keeper of the dead city hung his head at the mention of his task, "The Darkwraiths are the enemies of man, and any living thing that has a soul. They were born in New Londo, and that is where they perished; the entire city was sacrificed to contain them."

"…For that is how great a threat they were…"

Jack felt his mind reeling at such information. His thoughts flashed back to what Alvina had told him about the city, about how and why it had become flooded in the first place. Her tale had told him about how three sorcerers had flooded the city upon the order of Lord Gwyn. Such a tale mentioned sorcerers, and now had the mention of a Guardian, someone who had been guarding a seal for god knows how long...

Such knowledge made the gears in Jack's mind turn, until he made the connection.

"Its you," he muttered in shock, "You were one of them, one of the people who flooded this city, aren't you?"

Ingward let out a long and tired sigh. Just by that action alone, Jack could see many emotions emanating from the old man. Regret, sadness, pain, and most of all, weariness. He seemed so tired, so very tired when it came to the very mention of the role he played. The deed he had done so many years ago. The thing that had cursed not only himself but also everyone else that was in the city at that moment.

"Yes." he replied, the answer being so quick that it was almost hard to hear the pain in his voice.

"Under the order of our lord, I and two of my compatriots sealed the gates of this once proud city and flooded it." he regrettably explained, "We stood by, watching as New Londo was transformed into a memento of death. Its streets flooded, its populous extinguished in a single moment. It was by our hands that this city was erased..."

Another pained sigh escaped the man, "A grave we so reluctantly filled."

Jack stood by, watching as the old man let out a soft and bitter chuckle, "Jack, is it? Tell me, do you know why my attire is the color that it is?"

Looking at Ingward, Jack spotted his red robe. But after several seconds of thinking about it, the teen shook his head, "I don't."

Sighing once again, Ingward looked down at himself in regret, "This attire, and the color that stains it symbolizes me and my companions as healers. Ones who are meant to help people, to make them feel better. To heal their wounds and give them a chance to live strong and prosperous lives."

"Now, isn't it ironic that it was men such as we were the ones to end the lives of so many?"

It was ironic, a fact that made Ingward feel sick to his stomach. While he did not disrespect his task, he was quite saddened at the idea that his occupation in life had been tainted so. He would not be remembered as such a healer but instead, he would be known as one of the people who murdered hundreds if not thousands to keep and evil at bay. A noble assignment to be certain, but what came after was so much harder to live with than the action itself.

During all of this, Jack watched the elder with a sadden look. In a way, he could understand the man's grief, if only slightly.

As Artorias, Jack had the memory of what he had to sacrifice in order to stop the Abyss. His mind, his soul, and his memory was all given in a attempt to keep the Abyss from spreading. The difference being though is that time will remember Artorias as a hero while Ingward? He will be remembered as a murderer, a man who had a hand in slaughtering an entire city.

"It is," Jack sighed, "But it is also fitting, I guess."

Gaining the man's attention with such a response, Jack continued, "Well, you said you guys were healers, right? Then, it was your job to maintain life as well as helping people. And while you had to do something like this...you also saved a lot of people as well by doing so."

Jack then let out his own sigh, thinking about some of the more unsettling memories he had thanks to Artorias. The images of Oolacile while in its tainted condition. What the Abyss had done to the citizens of that land and what it would have done if it had not been contained. The sickly feeling of the Abyss, its dark tainting nature corrupting everything it neared. Such thoughts made the teen shutter at what might have happened.

If Ingward hadn't done what he had, then the Abyss would have been able to spread from New Londo and to the rest of Lordran. So many lives would have been lost, tainted. It made him think, 'How many others would have been forced to experience the same hell that Oolacile had brought onto itself'?

"I have seen the Abyss, what it would have done," Jack told the Gatekeeper, "What it would have done if that darkness had escaped from this land. And knowing that, I'm certain that you all did what was right."

Without seeing the man's face, Jack could have sworn that Ingward gave him a thankful look. The opinion from someone he had just met might not have erased the countless years Ingward had to live with his guilt, but he was thankful none the less. Still, such a statement from Jack did prompt a question from the old man.

"Thank you," he replied with a grateful tone, "But tell me lad, how do you know of the Abyss?"

The old man knew of only one other instance of the Abyss, where the same darkness that had taken New Londo had been released. But the thought didn't even seem possible, even when it came to the land such as Lordran.

A nervous chuckle escaped from Jack, "Well, I...met with someone who taught me in the ways of the Abyss."

Ingward curiously at the teen, "Oh? And who could have told you such a thing?"

There was only one person that the old could think of when it concerned the vile Abyss. But with his age, Ingward's memories had decayed like the ruins that surrounded him. He could no longer recall what the man had looked like entirely, but there was still his name and actions. For there was no other man that the Keeper of New Londo knew of that had knowledge of the Abyss like the Abysswalker himself.

So the surprise on Ingward's face was well justified when Jack told him of who he had learned from.

"It was...from a man named, Knight Artorias."

Such a answer was a lie of course, but Jack couldn't think of any other way to explain it. And in truth, it wasn't a complete lie. After all, it was Arotrias' memories that had informed the teen about what the Abyss was like. The dark effects it had on both land and people, Jack knew it all. So in truth, Artorias had taught him about the Abyss, even if he had done so in a far more personal way than most teachers could have.

"Knight Artorias?" Ingward shockingly asked the teen, "You have met him? Where is he now? I have only heard of his mission, but never had a chance to see him once again after he completed his task!"

Due to being trapped within the darkness of New Londo, Ingward only knew of the tale of Artorias, never finding out about the knight's true fate. He believed that Artorias had been successful in his endeavor in Oolacile and simply moved on from his quest. The old man never knew that the Abysswalker had fallen to the Abyss...until recently at least.

Behind his blue hood, Jack blinked slightly at the man's questions, "Wait, you knew of Artorias?"

Ingward nodded, a new lively feeling encompassing the old man's bones, "While not personally, I knew well of his trials and journey to conquer the Abyss in the far off land of Oolacile. Until now, it was only through his teachings that I once believed that the Abyss may prove surmountable."

Then, like a switch in his mind, a realization came to the old man. Why this young boy was in New Londo, why he had come to such a place of death and decay. Why his appearance reminded him of the Abysswalker himself, and why his aura seemed so powerful.

"That is why you are here, isn't it?" he questioned, a small bit of hope in his voice, "Why you have traveled to such a cursed land?"

Jack nodded, briefly telling Ingward of the reason why he had arrived in the ruins of New Londo. He did not bother to tell the guardian about the true reason why he had arrived however, and that was because Jack didn't feel that he needed to. His efforts to return home would free New Londo in the end, and there was even a chance that they wouldn't even see each other again after the deed was done.

Merely giving the man the hope that his task would be over was enough for the teen, something he noticed quite quickly too. As such an explanation did earn quite a bit of excitement from the weary man, something he had not experienced in quite some time.

"Does that men you know of how to traverse the Abyss? Like the Abysswalker himself?" Ingward asked, something Jack nodded to as well. After all, he technically was the 'Abysswalker', and if Artorias could traverse the Abyss, shouldn't he be able to as well?

_'Although,'_ Jack mused to himself, _'I'll need to talk with Sif about this...'_

As Jack thought to himself, Ingward eagerly reached into his robe and began searching for something. It took him a few moments due to how messy his attire was, but after some time the old man let out a small 'Ah!' and removed his hand.

"If you truly intend on traversing the Abyss, then you will need this." Ingward spoke, presenting what he had found to the teen. The object in question was in fact, a key. It was large and old, the metal having decayed just like the ruins itself. A large circular cross also sat on the top of the key's form, but that too had been decayed with time.

"This is the key to the seal. The Four Kings slumber in the deepest chamber of the ruins. Use this key to break the seal and open the floodgates."

Taking the key from Ingward, Jack could feel the dreaded weight of such a object. The agonizing decision that was tied to the key, the realization that countless lives, and the robust culture of the city had to be sacrificed with the use of such a ancient tool. It was practically the same smoking gun that had ended the lives of everyone in New Londo, transforming them into the vengeful spirits that had been chasing the teen throughout the ruined city.

Holding the key in his hand, Jack gave the old man a questioning look, "Are you sure?"

Such a key would release something terrible, something that had warranted the deaths of hundreds of people. If the seal was released, the same darkness that had destroyed both Oolacile and New Londo would be free once again. The Darkwraiths would roam the lands once more if he failed, searching for humanity to pillage. And the Abyss? It would be unleashed once again, spreading its dark influence through all of Lordran.

Giving the key to such a darkness...to a mere boy seemed rather, foolish of Ingward.

Such a concept didn't seem to bother Ingward however, "Quite."

Turning his attention to the city once again, Ingward let out a sigh, "A prison can only last for so long, and I am not getting any younger I'm afraid." he told to teen regretfully, "The Abyss is a powerful force, something that will escape given enough time along with the agents that served it in hand. And, mark my words. The Darkwraiths are the enemies of man, and any living thing that has a soul. They were never meant to roam again."

"And, I hold you to be one who can keep such creatures from ever walking free from this prison." he told Jack, Ingward tone going very serious as he spoke, "If you do not believe that you can accomplish such a task, then return the key to me."

The elder held out his hand to Jack, presenting him with a clear choice. He could either return the key to Ingward and leave, or Jack could complete the mission he had come to do. He could rid New Londo of the curse that had been locked away within its walls, and also gain the only way home that he knew of.

But with his hand tightening around the key, Jack's decision was made quite clear to Ingward as well.

"Then go, the key now in your hands. I will help you in any way possible." the old guardian told the teen, his voice filled with hope that he might be able to see the sun again very soon.

Nodding, Jack pocketed the key and turned to leave. But upon looking around, a question did come to the boy. One that Ingward might be able to answer for him.

"Now that you mention it, where exactly is the seal?" the teen asked. After all, Jack didn't know his way around the city all that much, if at all. And knowing the exact location of the seal itself? That would have been rather important to know at the moment.

"Ah," Ingward nodded and walked past the teen, making his way toward the other end of the building, "Of course."

Stopping just at the end of the roof, Ingward looked off into the darkness that swirled around the ruins, "The seal, is that way."

Walking up and stopping at the man's side, Jack followed his gaze and noticed something right behind the very building they were standing on. Sitting behind the stone building was a pathway, one that was lined up against the stone wall that had been built into the side of the underground city. It was a small path that split off into two directions, one leading to a tower to far right and another leading upward into a higher part of the city.

"Alright then..." Jack mused, finally understanding where he had to go after spending his entire time running around in the gigantic city. Still, the teen then turned his attention toward Ingward with a smile on his face. The old man had helped him greatly in such a short time, it was almost astounding.

"Thank you, Ingward." Jack thanked the man, extending his own arm this time. Thanking the guardian was the least he could.

Ingward let out a small chuckle and embraced the teen's handshake, "Its quite alright son, think nothing of it. I would rather thank you again while under the sun's gaze. I have missed it quite a bit."

Jack let a small smile come to his face. He could appreciate such a notion, "Consider it done."

With Ingward smiling under his mask and the key in hand, Jack released the keeper and took a deep breath. After turning his back to the guardian, Jack focused his attention toward where Ingward had pointed him in and ran off with determination gleaming in his eyes. He reached the end of the building within mere seconds and promptly jumped off the building's roof, gliding down to the pathway below him.

The teen landed in a small huff and just barely fit on the pathway he had been shown. It was rather thin for someone his size, but the teen was able to use it quite effectively. In fact, the matter that he wasn't just running around like a headless chicken was more than enough in the boy's opinion.

Eventually though, the teen did reach the tower and quickly rushed inside before any of the ghosts could catch up to him. Once there, he was met with the sight of a large lift stationed in the center of the room. It looked quite similar to the same one he had used to reach the city from Fire-Link Shrine (even had the same type of chains too), even if it was unusable due to the flooded state of the city. Just beyond that however, Jack noticed something that caught his attention.

At the complete other end of the tower was a door. It was old, rusted, and by looks alone it seemed to be just barely hanging on. Even so however, Jack noticed a small keyhole right under the door's handle.

A Keyhole that looked about the right size for the key Ingward had given him.

"Okay..." Jack muttered, looking down at the key itself.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained..."

Jack's metal boots stomped against the aged stone as he made his way toward the door, just barely fitting through the stone pathway due to his size. Upon reaching the gate though, Jack took a deep breath and inserted the key into the metal door. There was some resistance at first, likely due to some rust and the decayed condition of the door itself. But after a moment or two, Jack was met with a single resounding noise.

The sound of tumblers moving, gears shifting, and the door swinging open with a painful creak.

With the path cleared for the first time in years, Jack let out a small sigh and walked through the door.

But, much to his surprise, there wasn't that much sitting on the other side of the door. In fact, there was only two things the teen could see at first glance. The first being a crank, one massive for a human's size. But beyond such a device, Jack felt his feet grow cold at what he saw.

A Gate.

Just a few yards away from where the teen stood was a massive, imposing gate. The two doors were made of powerful and sturdy metal along with a giant metal lock keeping the gate in place. By looking at it alone, one could tell that the gate had been built for a single purpose. For such a door was not meant to open and close. Instead, it was merely meant to contain something, to hold the darkness that had infected New Londo at bay for the rest of time.

A purpose that Jack was about to undo.

With his gaze focusing on the ominous structure for a moment or two, Jack took a deep breath and focused his attention on the crank. It was fairly obvious that the tool was the same device that had sealed the door up so long ago. And it would also be what he would use to drain the water from the damned city, allowing Jack to find his way to what had caused the once grand city to fall into darkness in the first place.

So with a deep breath, Jack reached down and grabbed the crank's handle with both hands and with a thunderous push, he moved the ancient device.

The sounds of gears shifted in the background and echoed into the distance as he pushed, the large contraption spinning in place while Jack walked around it. Much dust fell from the tool as it was used but Jack didn't seem to notice. His attention was focused on the contraption itself.

It was quite ironic that the same tool that had closed the gates and doomed everyone in the city to a watery grave was actually in a pristine condition. It held no rust, no decay, and not even a slight sign of the passage of time. In fact, the only blemish that could be seen on the device was the dark tone it had. Almost if it had been scared by what it had helped do all those years ago.

After a few seconds of pushing however, Jack shot upward when he heard a thunderous clanking echo throughout the city. With the crank no longer moving despite how much he pushed, Jack released the contraption and turned his attention towards the gate itself.

Once the crank went silent, the massive door suddenly shook and groaned. Then within a moment of eerie silence, the large metal lock became undone, sliding back into the walls from whence it came. With the lock gone however, the doors were free to open.

And for the first time in centuries, they did.

The gigantic doors groaned and shifted open, their massive metal frames moving for the first time in years. They weren't the only thing that moved however, as the moment the doors even started to twitch, so too did the water. In fact, the sight of the rushing water pushing the doors outward actually caught Jack off guard. It was like a massive wave, spilling out from the massive city and clearing up sections of the town that had been underwater for so many years.

But once it was finished, so much was revealed to the teen. There was no longer any water below his feet, no blackened waves that spread throughout the grand city. New Londo was no longer in the clutches of the water born from a dark decision of the past.

Now though? There was only darkness.

Darkness, like the Abyss.

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><p><em>Author Notes:<em>

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><p>*Funny enough, I originally planned to have Jack fight off the ghosts due to having a 'cursed' version of Artorias' Greatsword. But upon starting this chapter...I realized I never established that he had that version of his sword, didn't I? He, good thing I caught that.<p>

*Same thing I said back with Alvina and Solaire. I hope I didn't make Ingward seem that OOC in this chapter.

*When it comes to Lore in Dark Souls, there is a bit of a issue when it comes to events themselves. Dark Souls has no definite timeline, and there are no exact dates to most of the events in the series. As such, its hard to figure out when some events take place and what came first or not. This was an issue in this chapter when it came to Ingward and the events of New Londo in comparison to Oolacile's time frame.

*Next Chapter, we have the return of the Abyss and Sif! The Darkwraiths! And the end of the curse that has been embracing New Londo! See you then!

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><p><em>RxR! I would love to hear your comments!<em>


	12. The Dark and the Ash

__RxR! I would love to hear your comments!__

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><p><em><em>Chapter: The Dark and the Ash.<br>__

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><p><em>The Door creaked open.<em>

_The Water ran free._

_And the light shined through._

_But with the light, came the shadows._

_And with the shadows came the dark, and with the dark…came the endless Abyss._

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><p><strong>New Londo Ruins:<strong>

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><p>Light shined through the massive gates, the first light to grace New Londo in several desperate years.<p>

It was a brilliant light, something that seemed to cleanse the darkened city of the curse that had engulfed it for so long. The shadows, the decay, and the death. Truly, it had been far overdue for the light to once again shine within such a city, even if it was such a limited amount. The doorway's radius could only cover so much, and much of the remaining city was still trapped within the clutches of the darkness that had been present for so long.

Still, the light was an improvement in the very least.

In fact, Jack couldn't help but look on at the light, almost as if he had been entranced by it. It had been several minutes after the floodgates had been opened and yet, the mere sight of the light was almost breathtaking to the young lad. After spending even a small amount of time in the dark ruins, he couldn't help but bask in such a simple light.

The sunlight was so simple...and yet, so much more.

Even so, such sightseeing would have to wait. Jack shook himself out of his little trance and looked back into the dark ruins. After all, now that the water was gone, Jack could proceed. The lower portions of the ruins of New Londo were now free for him to explore…

And whatever darkness that hid down there was merely waiting for him as well. Waiting to meet his sword, and to meet their end.

"Well," Jack mused, heaving his sword onto his shoulder "Might as well get on with it."

Turning around, the teen began to retrace his steps through the tower. There had to be a way down to the lower levels without simply taking yet another leap of faith. After all, Jack could barely see past the shadows that took up most of the ground below. The door he had opened only could illuminate so much within the dark city.

Jack let out a sigh as he gazed at the darkness, "Wheres a torch or a flare when I need one?"

Even so however, everything was not lost. For just after taking a few steps back, Jack took notice of a familiar looking lift that sat within the center of the tower he had entered previously. Such a contraption could easily provide him the needed transportation and lower him down to the newly drained portion of the city. It was a much safer method of travel anyway, as Jack would not have to risk encountering the phantoms once again.

So with that in mind, Jack began to make his way back to the elevator and activated it with a nearby switch. Upon use, the massive lift quickly sprang to life, the chains shifting and moving as the stone lift began to rise back up to the teen's position. It was rather amazing that such a device could even still function despite the condition it was in due to the flood.

"That really shouldn't surprise me," Jack muttered as he stepped onto the lift, "Not anymore at least."

Still, Jack tried not to focus on the strange situation and instead moved onto the center of the platform. Like the lift from Fire-Link Shrine, merely touching the center of the lift activated the machine and allowed for the boy to descend into a deeper portion of the city. The journey itself was much shorter than Jack's previous experience with such an elevator, so he didn't have to wait long for the lift to come to a halt.

But once the elevator touched down, Jack was nearly knocked off his feet by a sickening smell. It was vile, disgusting, and beyond anything the teen had ever experienced before. Not even the burnt remains of the hollows back in the Undead Parish were as vile as what he was experiencing. It was like was something had been left out to rot for several days…

"Okay, what in the hell is that smell..."

…an accurate description actually, as Jack almost fell back in shock once he took a step out of the elevator.

Jack stopped in his tracks, his eyes going wide, "Oh...god."

For instead of a normal, stone tiled floor making up the path in front of him, all Jack could see was bodies. Rotten, water logged, and misshaped corpses. That was all the teen could see. Numerous corpses, covering the floor and even parts of the nearby walls. Piled there like trash.

Trash could be an accurate description too due to the condition of the bodies however. Many of them were lacking clothes and hair, all of which had likely been lost due to having been under water for so long. In fact, it was hard to tell if the bodies had been alive at all at one point! The corpses were merely so decayed and rotten that it seemed as if they were just one step away from just being bones. But the worse aspect about the corpses?

It was the sheer number of them.

There were dozens, hundreds, maybe even over a thousand of them. There were so many bodies that the piles even scaled higher than some of the nearby buildings. They were all just sitting there, almost like piles upon piles of death and decay, rising up from the floor like a sickness. Jack had unfortunately discovered the final resting place of New Londo's citizens, where their bodies had ended up after the flood had taken most of the city. Their bodies must have drifted toward the source of the water and settled themselves near it.

It was so vile, so disgusting that Jack nearly felt his stomach empty itself at just the mere sight of it all. So many people were there, some of which were even children. All of them had been left there to rot, their bodies slowly decaying until they were just a disgusting pile of rotten flesh.

"Oh…oh god…" Jack muttered, stepping back in shock. He could barely take it. Nothing in Lordran had prepared the teen for such a vile display. It was just too gruesome.

Jack might have had the memories and even a bit of influence from Artorias, but not even a knight of his caliber could look upon such a sight without some shock.

For what he was looking at…it was a grave. A grave that held everyone who had died in the flood so long ago. Every living soul who had been in New Londo at the time were there. Men, women, and children. They were all laying there, bound forever in a sick display of death and decay.

Truly, was this what the Lords of the Lordran were willing to do in order to stop the Abyss?

"W-what the hell is this?!" Jack asked himself, wishing desperately that what he was looking at was simply an illusion. Some false image that was used to break anyone who arrived in the city. But much to his horror, this was no illusion. What Jack was seeing was absolutely real, and it disgusted him to the very core.

He was in the grave of New Londo, a massive tomb for all who had once lived there.

Such a discovered nearly made Jack fall to his knees. It was gruesome, chilling, and nothing he knew of could compare to it. The teen felt his mind reeling at what he was seeing, bile rising in this throat. Never before had he ever seen such a monstrous travesty. The grief, the disgust, and the utter horror of the sight in front of him was more than enough to knock the boy on his side.

However, such a shock proved to be a dangerous distraction. For while Jack stared at the horror that was in front of him, he did not notice a dark figure approuch him from the side. At first glance, the figure seemed to be a tall man, one who nearly reached Jack's own transformed height.

Covering the figure's body was a strange attire of armor, something that could easily be confused with bone if not gazed at properly. The armor even shared the similar appearance of a person's skeleton, with the chest looking quite similar to a human's ribcage. But the rest of the armor seemed rather twisted, with a pale and unkempt material running throughout the legs and arms of the armor. But the most shocking part of the figure was its shoulders and head, both of which were covered a dark black cowl.

The figure's face was the worst of it all, a skull-like mask covering the entirety of his head with the mysterious notion of being his actual face instead of a mask.

In the figure's hand was also a long black sword, one that wide and thick, and held in a rather unusual manner. Whoever this was, he did not feel as if a shield was needed however, as the figure merely held his sword in one hand while the other was empty.

The figure held its sword out wide as it approached Jack, seemingly prepared to strike the teen down before he even had a chance to notice. However, such a approach proved unsuccessful when the figure accidentally stepped on the skull of one of the corpses that surrounded both he and Jack.

Such a sickening sound quickly snapped Jack out of his shock and shifted the teen's attention away from the piles of bodies and to the figure itself. But upon seeing the figure, several memories were shaken loose from Jack's head.

"You..." he growled, the grip on his sword growing tighter with his anger.

Jack remembered what he had seen from earlier. When he had accidentally ran through one of the restless spirits of New Londo. One of the people who had been around when the city was flooded. The teen had seen the spirit's memories, the very things that had flashed in front of its eyes before the waters had claimed their lives. And one of those memories had shown him a creature in bone white armor. A creature who was stealing the humanity out of another...

A Darkwraith.

Utter fury burned within Jack, prompting him to let out a furious roar before charging toward the servant of the dark. His boots cracked and crunched against the bodies below his feet, but he didn't care. All the teen could see was red, and all of it was directed at the creature in front of him.

"This is all your fault!" Jack bellowed while he swung down at the Darkwraith, just barley missing the creature by mere inches, "You caused all of this! **You made it happen! _You killed them ALL!_**"

The flooding might have been done by the Sealers (such as Ingward) while under the order of Anor Londo, but it was all justified due to the Wraiths and their masters! They gave into the temptation, they corrupted their bodies and their souls! They killed so many people due to their own lust, and threatened everything beyond the walls of New Londo! And it was because of them that action had to be taken!

So many people had to die, because of them!

It might have been a narrow way of looking at the situation that had befallen New Londo, but it was all Jack had. Its all he had to justify his anger.

An anger that was more than plenty, more than Jack had ever felt before. The fury he was feeling was like a burning fire, consuming him. Some of it might have been from Artorias, some might have been just from Jack's own shock. But whatever the fire had come from, it was burning brightly.

**_"DIE!"_**

Ripping the blade free from the ground, Jack let out a sneer and began charging at the monster again. He stabbed, sliced, and even tried to split the Wraith down the center with one stroke of his sword. But much to his annoyance, the Darkwraith had away to defend itself even without a sheild. For instead, the creature's unoccupied hand glowed with a black light and blocked whatever the teen threw at it. It was like a swirling vortex of shadows, absorbing everything that touched it.

Even with such a powerful tool though, the wraith's arm could not hold up against Jack's onslaught. In fact, when Jack lifted his blade above his head and smashed down onto the wraith, the beast's legs practically gave out. The Darkwraith collapsed onto its knees, its arm just barley staying upright to protect itself from the furious teen. Its arm practically looked broken by that point, its elbow even bending in the wrong direction.

Jack quickly took advantage of this and drove his foot deeply into the Wraith's torso. Bones could be heard cracking for a very brief moment before the Darkwraith was sent flying across the ruins, its body crashing through a wall or two before settling onto the ground. Such a bruising assault left the monster dazed, confused and aching, something Jack quickly capitalized on by releasing a furious sneer before crouching closer to the ground.

Then, almost like a metal spring, Jack leaped into the air like a bullet with a small crater being left in his wake. His body flipped through the air with his sword in hand, sailing across the landscape like an agent of death. And with one final roar, Jack came crashing back down to the ground just in time to skewer the Wraith right through the chest with his sword.

The blade tore through both flesh and armor, eventually exiting through the Wraiths back and pinning the creature to the ground.

The Wraith spasamed and twitched as the sword tore through its organs, leaving a gaping hole in its torso. Even as this happened however, Jack continued to stand over the dieing creature, his work not finished yet. For as he loomed over the Abysmal creature, Jack lifted one of his massive boots and stomped on the Wraith's head before ripping his sword free from its stomach.

With the monster slowly bleeding out at his feet, Jack gripped his sword tightly and glared down at the creature. How many people had it killed? How many souls had been tainted by this monstrosity? And how many of the spirits in New Londo owed their cursed fate to this Wraith in particular?

It filled him with so much rage that not even a hint of regret could be felt, not even slightly. Jack felt nothing but rage as he lifted his sword and decisively beheaded the Wraith right then and there, its blood splattering against the ground while its head rolled to the side.

Jack's teeth gritted as he stared at the corpse, "You should have stayed in the water..."

His goal was simply to kill the Four Kings and go home, that was all. But upon seeing these monsters and the result of the sacrifice needed to keep them locked away? Ones who had betrayed everything they had once been for more power? He would not let that stand. Jack, like the Knight before him, would not stand by and let these monsters roam free. Instead, if any of the residents of the Abyss made themselves known to him, even if it was just rising from their watery tomb...

_'I will kill them all!'_ he promised himself, his hand tightening around his sword even more.

He would rip them part, every single one of them.

Stepping away from the Wraith's corpse, Jack settled his gaze back towards the massive gate in front of him. By following the light that shined through it, the teen soon noticed a small set of stairs and a wooden shack in the distance. Figuring that it was his best bet, the teen decided to head that way.

But before he could make his way toward the rickety shack, a large booming roar and the sound of something flying through the air caught his attention.

"Hm?" Jack mused before turning around.

As he did so however, something suddenly came flying though the open gate and into the ruins. It even flew straight toward the teen himself, resulting in Jack casually stepping out of the way. This resulted in the strange object smashing into the ground in a sudden explosion of dust and rock while Jack looked on. But once the debris vanished from sight, Jack raised a brow at what had nearly crushed him like a pancake.

It was a large scaly creature, one with a impressive scaly body, large wings, and a tail. It slightly resembled the dragon Jack had met back in the Undead City too, with a spike covered neck extending from its torso. The main difference from the massive drake however was the creature's size and color. Instead of towering over even someone of Jack's size, this strange creature was much smaller and colored blue instead of red.

That wasn't the only difference though, as Jack also noticed a large gash mark running through the Wyvern's torso. Getting tossed into the ruins was clearly not what had killed the beast. Instead, it had been long dead before it had even touched the ground.

"Now..." he mused while examining the wound, "What could have done that...?"

Before he could come up with an explanation though, yet another sound took Jack's attention away from the corpse. But instead of hearing something flying through the air once again, Jack noticed the sensation of something walking toward him. It was like thunderous steps, each causing a small vibration to echo through the ground.

But, the echoing of such footsteps reminded Jack of something. It was almost like an animal walking, like a dog of a-

A small grin appeared on the armored teen's face once he heard such sounds, his imminent reaction being to casually rest his sword on his shoulder before turning around. From there, Jack saw a massive shape walking toward him from the gate, the sunlight making it nearly impossible for him to see its every detail.

Once the light gave way however, Jack couldn't help but grin at what he saw, "So there you are!"

Approaching the armored teen was a familiar sight. A figure that Jack had last seen walking off just before he descended into the ruins of New Londo, the massive beast's size making it impossible for him to follow after his partner. He had been forced to find an alternative method of entrance, and by his sudden arrival, it seemed as if he was successful in that endeavor.

The Great Grey Wolf had found his way back to his good friend.

Sif walked casually through the massive gate and across the corpse ridden floor until he stopped at his comrade, a cheerful little light shining in his eyes. The wolf's sword was clenched tightly between the beast's teeth and it even had a bit of blood running down the side. His coat was also a bit stained as well but it didn't seem to bother Sif. In fact, upon closer inspection it was quite easy to tell that the blood wasn't Sif's either.

But with the Wyzern's corpse sitting just behind him and the sight of the foreign blood on Sif's pelt, it didn't take all that long for Jack to connect the dots.

A connection that made Jack laugh, "So, that's what you've been up to?"

The massive Grey Wolf gave Jack a brief nod and gestured toward where he had made his entrance. Jack followed the wolf's notion and quickly noticed a large bridge sitting just a few feet away from New Londo's gate. And atop of said bridge was more than a few corpses, all of them sharing the general appearance as the Wyzern that had nearly crushed Jack just moments ago.

All of the faux-dragons had been slaughtered by the massive wolf. His sword was stained with their blood and his eyes held a savage nature that only a beast could have. Blood-lust was swimming in Sif's eyes, and Jack was all the more happy for it. For in truth, he knew exactly where he wanted Sif to channel that rage.

A smirk developed behind Jack's hood, "Good, but you haven't tired yourself out yet, have you?"

Sif let out a small growl and shook his head. He was clearly far from done. In fact, those Wyzerns had been a simple warm up for the wolf, a mere taste as to what was to come. The stench that pooled out from New Londo, Sif had smelt it from the moment he had walked into the ruined city. It was the same stench that had consumed Oolacile so many years prior. And unlike then, Sif was more than familiar with the dangers ahead.

"Glad to hear it," Jack replied before turning his gaze toward the ruins behind them, "Now then, let's go..."

With a growl of confirmation coming from the massive wolf, Jack and his companion turned their attention toward the ruins in the background. There was no explanation needed, nothing that Jack had to tell the massive wolf.

They both knew why they were there, and what they needed to do.

So with nothing holding them back anymore, both Knight and Wolf began their march into the massive building in front of them. It was the same massive building that had loomed over both Jack and the city itself since he first arrived. The armored teen had avoided entering the building till that very moment, but there was no avoiding it now. The sickness that plagued New Londo originated from that very building, or at least the path to it ran through the structure.

Whatever reason or path it truly was, both Jack and Sif didn't truly care. They had come so far, and done so much. So there was no way in hell that they were going to stop there.

Metal boots and paws crushed anything beneath themselves as the duo made their way forward, first up the stairs in from of them and then through the broken shack beyond that. The duo didn't even bother with trying to find a way around the wooden structure. Instead, Sif merely spun on his back legs and sliced through the shack with one powerful swing of his sword. That was all that was needed too, as the structure was so old and decayed that only one swing was needed to reduce the shack to a pile of rotten wood. It was no obstacle at all really; Jack and Sif merely marched over the pile as if it was nothing.

But just passed the old shack was the building itself. The two looked up at its ominous presence before venturing inside. But once inside however, both Jack and Sif were greeted with the true welcoming committee of New Londo.

The structure's innards were just as decayed as the outside was, but there was still some semblance of what had been a once grand architectural marvel. The well-crafted walls and floors, it was all still there in some form, if horribly decayed. But unlike the building itself, the new residents of the city had none of the former glory of the people who once lived there.

As Jack and Sif made their way into the building, this became obvious. For instead of humans that were full of life, there was merely a single dark presence within the building. The Dark Wraiths, the monsters who had given up everything for power. Dozens of the fowl creatures moved in towards the duo, almost as if they had crawled out of the shadows themselves. Each and every one of them shared the same appearance as the one Jack had killed, be it the armor they wore or the sword they held. Even the 'Dark Hand' they wielded was the same as well, glowing with the sickening power to steal the humanity from everyone they touched.

Looking at such creatures made Jack sick At one point, Jack had thought he had seen the worst of beings back in his own world. People such as MECH or the Decepticons had once been considered the lowest of the low. But upon even glancing at the betrayers that stood around both him and Sif, Jack knew better.

The Dark Wraiths deserved the prison they had been cast into. And while they had been freed from it, their freedom would not be so easy to achieve. Not while Jack and his partner stood in their way.

"Alright Sif," the Knight spoke to the beast next to him, "Are you ready?"

Sif said nothing. He only barred his teeth at the monsters around them, his sword trembling in anger at the filth that had presented themselves to the duo. Jack was no different though, as he felt his hand tighten as he readied his own sword. The blade had tasted the Dark Wraith's blood already, and now it hungered for more.

And despite the monsters surrounding them, Jack let out a dark chuckled, "Sorry about that."

"Stupid question."

No more words were shared from that point forward. Sif and Jack turned to face their enemies, and in one simple moment of silence, they leaped.

Jack lashed outward, his metal boots cracking against the ground as he rushed the closest Wraith. Upon coming within a foot or two of it, Jack let off a howl and sliced the monster in half. He then repeated this action towards two other Wraiths before knocking a third off its feet with a well place kick to the jaw. Bones snapped as the Wraith fell backwards, its neck almost having been snapped in two by the strength of the kick alone. But its life was truly ended when Jack's sword came crashing down, tearing the Wraith in two the moment its back hit the ground.

This wasn't the only action going on however. As Jack was slicing and dicing his way through countless Wraiths, Sif was doing his fair of damage as well. For while Sif's size might have seemed like a disadvantage when it came to so many enemies, the wolf himself had more than enough experience to turn his weakness into an advantage.

Even with the chamber restricting his movements, Sif tore through the Wraiths like they were mere hollows. Snapping his head forward, the wolf dragged his sword through the ground, the air, and every Wraith in between. Their armor stood no chance against his massive blade, the sword easily cutting through at least three of them at once during a single swing. In fact, Sif didn't even need to hit most of the Wraiths with his blade. The mere pressure his sword released upon each swing sent more than a few Wraiths crashing into the walls that surrounded them. And even if his blade wasn't the cause their deaths, the sheer size of Sif's body did the trick as well.

Within mere moments, Jack and his Wolf companion slaughtered the agents of the dark, reducing them to bloody corpses within mere minutes. The very last of the Wraiths tried to crawl away, its legs having been sliced off in the heat of battle. But before it could return to the shadows, Jack walked up next to the bleeding Wraith and stabbed it through the spine with a sickening crunch.

Removing his blade, Jack glared down at the tainted monster before drudging past it. These were merely the agents of the Abyss. Jack and Sif needed to not only deal with them, but something much worse as well. They needed to take care of the puppet master too. The Four Kings were their target, and these monsters were merely a bump in the road.

Jack sent Sif a glance, watching the wolf spat out the remains of a Wraith he had bit in half. Sif was enraged, so he spared no expense when it came to the monsters within New Londo.

"That...is going to leave a nasty taste buddy," Jack muttered, grimacing at the bloody bits his brother had spat out. He figured that Sif might have been reduced to devouring hollows during his stay in Darkroot, but that was even more disgusting.

Sif huffed at the teen before following after him, having gotten all he needed out of the Wraiths around him.

The duo of man and beast then promptly made they're way out of the massive building and into what seemed to be a courtyard. It was flooded of course though, some of the water from Jack's attempt to drain the city having been trapped there. Even so though, there was barely any at all, just a small enough amount to reach up to Jack's ankles.

"Great..." Jack grumbled, "Wet boots, just what I need."

Sif let out a amused grunt due to that, for which Jack responded with a nudge at the wolf's side, "Laugh it up fuzzball. Just wait till we get back to my place. I'm going to give you one hell of a bath, and then we'll see whose laughing then."

Any amusement that was left in the massive wolf quickly died and his gaze turned into a glare. Such a glare quickly turned on Jack, warning him with a look that screamed 'Don't you dare'. Then, almost as if they had changed places, Jack let out his own laugh and poked the wolf in the side almost playfully. It was almost amusing that he could playfully mess with a giant wolf who could slaughter monsters as if they were nothing.

"Oh, just calm down bud." he told Sif with a smirk, "It'll be fine. I promise.

With a disbelieving stare, Sif let out a huff as they continued forward through the courtyard. The entire area felt as if it was still flooded, but there wasn't much water left in fact. As they pushed on though, the duo deep meet up with one or two more Wraiths. They were stragglers and nothing compared to the horde Sif and Jack had just faced. So as a result, they weren't even worth the two's time.

After finishing them off however, Sif and Jack marched their way through another abandoned building before they came across a significant opening within the ruins. For just past the ruined building was a small bridge with two statues standing on each side of it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary there, but just passed the bridge was what Sif and Jack quickly took notice of. There was a strange sensation coming from the doorway, as if there was something trying to crawl out of it. Like a Corpse crawling its way out of a grave.

"This is it..." Jack murmured, "Theres no denying it. Those bastards are in there..."

Jack was certain of it. The Four Kings were through that door. Down whatever hole it lead to, that is where the darkness had set up shop. And that was where Jack and Sif had to go to face them. The feeling, the sensation they were experiencing. However, just upon gazing at the entrance Jack could see a problem. The door was too small for Sif, he could never fit through it. Perhaps a few years prior and a few inches smaller then he might have, but given his massive size? It was impossible.

Rubbing his face, Jack glared at the door, "So fucking close and you're just fucking with me now!"

"Okay, okay." he tried to calm himself, "Need to think of a way to get through that. Maybe there is a alternate path or something, somewhere you can-"

_**-CRASH!-**_

Without even waiting for Jack to finish talking, Sif had decided to make his own entrance. So with the use of his massive sword, Jack watched as Sif smashed his way into the side of the building, destroying a good chunk of the ruined stone in the process. As such, the doorway collapsed with several bricks falling over into the darkness below.

"Well, damn." Jack mused, blinking slightly at what his partner had done.

But that wasn't what was important. Instead, now the entrance was wide enough for both Sif and Jack to fit through.

A small chuckle escaped the teen turned Knight, "Well, if fighting doesn't work out for you, then you can always try your hand at construction, buddy."

Sif let out a grunt at that, but the duo wasted no more time in waiting. Instead, the duo took a moment to steel themselves before gazing at what they were about to dive into. For just beyond where the door had been was a massive spiral staircase. It made sense that a small tower would use that style of stairs, but the alarming part of it? Neither Jack nor Sif could see the bottom of the stairs. Darkness was the only thing the two warriors could see, a testament to what they believed to be waiting for them.

The Abyss.

Just before the duo even considered proceeding though, a sudden question reared itself in his mind once again.

It was something Ingward had mentioned previously, "Buddy...before we go, I can ask you a question?"

"Do you know how to...traverse the Abyss?"

If the wolf couldn't traverse the Abyss, then Jack knew he couldn't take him along. The darkness would simply swallow up the massive wolf, not matter how strong he was. Only Artorias himself and in turn, Jack could traverse the darkness without protection.

Despite his worry though, Sif merely looked down at his companion and nodded.

The massive Wolf then reached into his fur and began to search for something. After a few moments of waiting though, Jack looked on curiously as Sif pulled a strange looking ring from his fur. Such a object was small, gold, and had a small blue gem on its side. But upon seeing such a ring, laughter unknowingly escaped from Jack. It was something he briefly remembered back within Artorias' memories. It must have been what the hollows had been looking for when they were trying to rob his grave.

It was a magical device that could allow anyone to traverse the Abyss. And with Sif holding it, Jack's worries concerning his friend promptly vanished.

And kindly enough, it had been nicknamed the _'Covenant of Artorias_'.

"You sly dog..." Jack smirked, noticing the smile on the wolf's own mug. Still, with the Abyss situation taken care of for the moment, both Jack and Sif no longer had anything to wait for. So with their gear ready and their hearts steeled, the two warriors took a deep breath before gazing downward toward the center of the spiraling staircase.

And with one final brief hesitation, the leaped into the darkness below.

* * *

><p><strong>The Abyss.<strong>

* * *

><p>The Darkness. It surrounded them. An endless blackness, going on in every direction. There wasn't even a speck of rock, land, or light. Every single inch around the duo was pitch black. The sensation they felt even reminded them of what its like to close your eyes. And for several minutes, its all Jack and Sif could see. They had been falling through such a darkness during their entire descent, and it was like falling through an endless dream, one that was impossible to see when it was going to end.<p>

When both Sif and Jack finally landed however, the feeling was sudden and without warning. IT was even quite similar to waking up one morning and falling off of your bed without even thinking. There was no ground, no stoney path, or anything even resembling a patch something out of the world above. All the duo could see was an endless darkness.

Truly, it was the Abyss.

"Son of a-" Jack cursed, standing up while unsheathing his sword and his shield. Jack had a feeling he would need both of his weapons for this battle. After all, they were in uncharted territory now, and the teen knew that he couldn't be too careful.

He wasn't that far off from the truth too though. As just moments after he and Sif arrived in the darkened void, Jack and his partner noticed something rise up in the distance. It was massive, ominous, and had a giant sword attached to its only remaining arm. At first, the duo thought it was the welcoming committee but the mere sight of the twisted crown that stood atop creature's head instantly clued Jack in on what he was looking at.

"And Alvina wasn't kidding when she called these things ugly..."

One of the Four Kings, it was truly a testament to what happens when a person throws everything away for mere power.

Due to the humanity that they had given up, the massive 'King' in front of Jack and Sif had little left of his human form. His face was the very least he had left, but his body was far too gone. It resembled a disgusting weed, thorns and growth just sprouting from the 'Kings' chest. The rest of the 'King's' limbs had vanished within this mass of thorns, all that remained was a singled bladed arm, its head, and the mass that was its body. And even while its head remained, it lacked and human characteristics. Its eyes had gone while, skin turned a pale grey, and massive horns had sprouted from its forehead.

The abomination rose from the darkness and loomed over the duo even at a distance. There was no real emotion in its eyes, not anymore. All that could be seen was a sickness, a darkness within the 'King's' eyes. Truly, any remnants of its humanity had been long gone. The former human had simply become a puppet of the Abyss' will, nothing more.

The creature's intelligence seemed to be lacking as well. For the moment the 'King' saw Jack and Sif, the monster let out a howl and imminently started charging at the duo. Due to having no legs, the monster simply floated across the 'ground' like it was nothing.

Upon reaching the duo though, the perversion of humanity raised its massive jagged sword and swung downward at both Jack and Sif. Luckily though, the two were much more experienced than the 'King' gave them credit for, so dodging such an attack was no problem for the pair.

Like the creature that attacked them however, Jack and Sif quickly prepared their weapons and attacked the moment they rolled out of the way. There was no reason to waste their time talking or hesitating, what they had to do was quite obvious. They were warriors after all, and a abysmal creature had been presented before them. What they had to do, be it their reasons for it or not, was obvious.

They were going to slay it, like so many other creatures in the past.

With both Sif and Jack having rolled to one side of the massive monster, each warrior took their own strategy when it came to combating the giant in front of them. Sif let out a furious howl and slashed the massive Wraith across its chest, his sword digging into the corroded flesh. Despite his powerful strength however, the 'King' didn't even flinch in response to the beast's attack. Instead, it quickly howled and responded with a slice of its own, one that Sif managed to avoid with a leap backwards.

During his confrontation though, Jack took advantage of the 'King's' distraction and leaped onto its back. Then while using its own thorny body to his advantage, Jack grabbed onto the King's corrupted flesh and viciously hacked away at the 'King's' back. His carving drew large amounts of black, tainted blood, and the 'King' howled in pain due to such injuries. It did not wait for Jack to stop however. In fact, the 'King somehow manged to twist itself around and tried to ensnare Jack with the left side of its body. The various thorns and malformed flesh twisted like various snakes and moved to envelop the armored teen.

To avoid this, Jack stabbed into the Wraith's flesh once again and used one of the 'King's' own thorns to leap over its shoulders. This allowed the teen to avoid such a trap and by dragging his blade with him, Jack also dealt a devastating wound to the monster. Such a motion easily tore the 'King's' shoulder open, causing the corrupted human a vast amount of pain. By the time Jack jumped away from the monster, it almost seemed as if he had sliced it in half.

"How'd you like that!?" Jack yelled at the beast, letting his enjoyment show just a bit.

However, the 'King' was not done yet.

Even with the massive wound eclipsing its right side, the former human responded to Jack's taunt by flaring its corrupted section of its body. The corrupted flesh extended as if it was a wing, and with a single twitch, the 'King' unleashed a devastating explosion of purple energy. Such an attack traveled like an arrow, making a beeline straight at Jack as if it was a heat seeking missile.

Noticing this, Jack quickly equipped the shield from his back and took guard for the oncoming assault. As such, the explosion that followed was a vastly intense one. The shield of the Abysswalker clashed with the magic of the Abyss. And unlike their previous encounter, Artorias' greatshield did not fall to the Abyss's magic. It held strong against the vile sorcery.

In fact, Jack even managed to push back against the 'King's' assault and charged the corrupted human. He was not alone in this too. As while Jack approached the monster from the front, Sif did the same from behind. Together, Jack shattered the 'King's' magic and leaped at the monster with his sword in hand while Sif struck from behind. With two well placed slashes, the Abysmal King fell, Jack having taken its head while Sif bisected the corrupted human, all at the same time.

The 'King' let out a horrid screech as its head slowly descended toward the ground. But the moment it and its body touched the 'floor' of the Abyss, the monster began to fade until it was nothing but dust. In the end, all that remained of the monstrous being was the blood on both Sif and Jack's swords. Nothing else remained.

"Well," Jack sighed, relieved that such a eye swore was dealt with, "That was easier than I thought."

With Sif stomping over to the teen, the massive wolf gave the teen a gentle nod and seemingly agreeing with him.

Rising from the Abyss were three more 'Kings', all of which looked exactly like the one Jack and Sif had just slain. They even shared the same disgusting appearances, right down to their gargantuan inhuman forms and the jagged swords that were man for reaping flesh from their victims.

"Ah, right." Jack mumbled, "They're called the 'Four' Kings for a reason."

Sif let out a enraged growl, furious at the sight of more monsters to slay. Jack felt his rage too and lifted his sword up in preparation as well. They had a feeling that the battle had been too easy, and now they knew why. The Four Kings were just that, four monsters that had traded everything for power. And now that one of them were defeated, that just left three. Three simple abominations that were standing in their way.

Sharing a brief look with Sif, Jack lifted up his shield and charged at the residents of the Abyss, Sif following close as well. From then on, the battle exploded into a frenzy of a destruction, with dark sorcery and steel clashing throughout the dark void. Jack sliced and tore through the trio of monsters, cutting and dominating against their corrupted flesh. Sif did the same, even stabbing one of the 'Kings' and chomping down on the Abysmal creature with his savage jaw. However, with the battle being not as one sided as before, the 'Kings' were a much greater force then they were alone.

Blasts of dark magic, powerful swings from their warped blades, and even the Abyss itself fought against the duo.

But despite their overwhelming power, both Jack and Sif refused to fall. They refused to let the power of this darkness even humor itself into thinking that such power would be enough to bring them down. After all, they were Knights of Lord Gwyn. They were powerful warriors, ones who had fought tooth and nail against more deadly foes then these false 'Kings'.

Sure, Jack was quickly knocked around and his armor dinged. But he refused to fall. There was too much hanging in the balance for Jack to let that happen. His home, the people of this land. The images of the short number of people he had met during his stay even flashed in front of Jack's eyes. Javed, Solaire, Siegmeyer, and even Alvina. Then, there were his friends back home. The people that were waiting for him...

Jack refused to make them wait any longer!

The Great Grey Wolf shared this feeling too, even as his fur was stained by the magic's corrosive nature. Sif had fought against the original plague, the one that had been unleashed upon Oolacile. He knew about what the Abyss could truly be like. And these Four 'Kings'? They were nothing in comparison, and he refused to fall against them. Especially now that he had been reunited with his brother in arms. They had been through so much, and he was not going to fall to such a inferior force!

They weren't Manus, and they weren't ever going to be that beast.

So with their choices decided and their wills strong, Jack and Sif fought furiously against the 'Kings'. The duo batted away their swords, withstood their magic, and even cut away against their disgusting bodies with their own personal methods. Eventually the duo even separately took out one of the 'Kings' by themselves. In Jack's case, the two swordsmen clashed in again and again, but eventually the teen's sword prevailed and utterly destroyed his foes. And without its weapon, the 'King' could do nothing as Jack beheaded it like the traitor it was.

Sif did something similar too, even going as far as to sliced off one of the 'King's' arms before crushing the monster's head between his massive maw of teeth.

With these two abominations taken care of, that just left one of the Four 'Kings' remaining. But even with just one left, the monster was determined to be as difficult as possible. As such, when Jack and Sif charged the monster, the 'King' unleashed a devastating shockwave of dark magic. It swept across the dark void and toward the two warriors. Sif was left completely vulnerable towards this magic, with his worn body standing no of a chance against it.

Jack felt his eyes widening and quickly ran toward his brother, "No you don't!

Just as the magic was about to burn the mighty wolf to a slithering slag of wet meat though, Jack rushed in front of his friend without a moments notice. With his shield held high, Jack absorbed the shockwave in its entirety. The dark magic slammed into the shield like a wave of water, a force of absolute power. Jack's arm felt like slag and he could barely stand because of it, but he did not fall. The armored teen did not break. And he was still quite angry.

"You...son of a..." Jack muttered, glaring daggers at the floating abomination, "BITCH!"

With an enraged roar, Jack tossed his shield away for a moment and rushed the abomination of the Abyss. Sif quickly followed his brother's lead, both of them holding their swords like their lives were depending on it.

The 'King' tried to shift away from the duo in some desperate attempt to prolong its existence, but the pair refused to allow such a thing to happen. So before the 'King' could even get more than ten or so feet away from the pair, both Jack and Sif shot forward like bullets and in a single moment...sliced the monster in half with two devastating blows.

As the last of its life left the 'King', the former ruler of New Londo let out a excruciating howl before it disintegrated into ash. And with its demise, the last of the monsters that had caused utter death to consume New Londo, had perished, freeing the former city of the darkness that had hung over it for so many years.

In the meanwhile though, Jack felt himself stand still for but a moment. His sword was still clamped in his hands and he looked down at his feet. He had done it, he and Sif had both destroyed the most powerful representations of the Abyss, the Four 'Kings' were no more. But despite that, the teen felt himself grow cold. For even though he monsters were gone, Jack suddenly had a realization come to him.

What would he do next?

Would the 'Homeward' Bone that Solaire had made him use suddenly activate? Would it take him home? Or would he have to find a way now that the Abyss's hold over him was weakened? But if that was the case, then how would he do such a thing? Both Jack and Sif were trapped in the Abyss. There was no way out of the darkness that surrounded them. And if there was no way out, how would they find a way home?

Despair suddenly began to take hold of the teen. Had he just doomed both him and his friend? Were they going to be trapped within the Abyss for the rest of their lives? All because Jack had taken a leap of faith? One more leap, that had caused himself to damn both him and his dear friend? Jack didn't want to believe it, but there wasn't much else he could think of when it came to their current situation. How would they press on now? Now that they were trapped within the darkness of the Abyss itself?

Seconds passed as these thoughts swirled within Jack's head, but he was thankfully brought out of them due to a nod from certain wolf. Looking up, Jack smiled at Sif and patted his brother on the snot. At least if he was going to die in the dark of the Abyss, Jack was glad he wouldn't have to spend his demise alone like Artorias had.

"Thanks buddy." Jack smiled at the wolf.

But just as Jack reached up to touch the beast's blood soaked fur, the teen noticed something out of the corner of his eyes. Something small and tiny floated off of Jack's hand. At first, the tiny flake was something that could have been confused with a bit of snow, as it was tiny, thin, and white. But full knowing that such a thing wasn't possible, there was only one other explanation the teen could think of.

It was ash...like the same type of ash that emerged from a bonfire.

The boy felt his eyes widen at the sight, "No way..."

Sif also looked down at Jack, his own eyes widening with confusion as the flakes started to multiply in mass. It was as if every single inch of Jack's body was covered in ash, and a small trace of wind was blowing them away to somewhere else. In fact, the mere idea of it made the teen think about what could have been the sudden cause of an phenomenon. But upon thinking about it, the boy remembered Javed's exact words when it concerned the 'Homeward Bones'.

* * *

><p><em>"A Homeward Bone is a Bone fragment reduced to white ash...ones that make up a bonefire..."<em>

* * *

><p>"Oh, please...please, please please-!" Jack chanted, hoping that what he was seeing was truly real. He hoped that it wasn't some stupid part of his imagination, something that his mind was thinking up so to soften the blow of their current situation.<p>

And much to his delight, the ash did not seem to be fake. In fact, the more time that passed. the more ash started to slowly flake off of Jack's body. Soon enough, there was even enough ash for form an entire cloud of the stuff, all of it as white as a human's bone.

"Yes!" Jack cheered, the happiness brought on by the situation was just too much for him. Sure, he wasn't completely sure if the situation was what he thought it was, but it was certainly better than nothing at least. In fact, he could even say that it was better than nothing in fact!

Despite his friend's happiness though, Sif looked down at his friend confusingly. He didn't understand a thing that was happening. This confusion was only magnified however when Jack suddenly latched onto the massive wolf. His armored arm wrapped itself around the wolf's neck. Upon sudden contact though, the strange 'ashen' phenomenon started to spread to Sif too, increasing the size of the ash cloud dramatically.

"Trust me on this, Sif." Jack tried to reassure his beastly companion, "Just trust me..."

Such a concept as 'trust' was all Jack could ask for. He didn't ask for faith or anything, all he wanted was his friend's trust. To believe him in their dire moment. But what Jack was unaware of was the fact that he didn't need to ask. Sif trusted him with so much, including his life.

He always had.

Moments passed in a blink of an eye for the duo, the cloud of ash growing continuously as the seconds rolled on by. Eventually though, the cloud grew so large that neither Jack or Sif could be seen within it. The massive mass of ash had completely encompassed the pair of warriors. But just as it seemed as if the strange phenomenon was nothing more than a smoke screen, something happened.

At the very center of the cloud, a sudden fiery explosion erupted and scattered the ash into various directions. But what was most surprising about the sudden change was one thing. Jack and Sif had completely vanished. They were gone. The boy, his armor, and his animal companion had completely vanished within the ashen cloud, leaving nothing behind but the ash itself.

Just within the blink of an eye, both Jack and Sif had vanished from Lordran and the Abyss itself.

Gone, like ash in the wind.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile:<em>

* * *

><p><em>Unknown to the situation underground, a lone man sat at amongst the dirt and grass in Fire-Link Shrine. He had just returned from a fairly trying battle in the city of Gods, Ano Londo and was hoping to rest for a time. But as he sat down, the man noticed a sudden change in the air. <em>

_It was like the feeling of a summoned spirit leaving the realm, but instead of one, there was two of them._

_Who or what they were, the warrior had little idea. But to him, it felt as if someone was leaving. Somehow or someway, someone was escaping from this dreaded land.  
><em>

_"Good for thou..." he muttered to himself, lifting his estus flask to whoever the mysterious people were. They had manged to do something that no other undead had manged once they had entered the darkened land._

_"Hopefully, thou has better luck then I..." he mused, staring at the bonfire in front of him._

_"...and, that the dark does not follow you, wherever thou is from."_

* * *

><p>Author notes:<p>

*Sorry if you wanted a more detailed fight with all four members of the Four Kings. I felt that if I went too into detail when it concerned that fight, it would have seemed rather repetitive. After all, a big part of the fight that makes it challenging in the game was the fact that you're fighting on a time limit. Its something I wanted to represent in this chapter. Jack and Sif easily take out one 'King', but the other three provide a much bigger challenge due to there being three of them at once.

*I left of the Mass of Souls in New Londo due to the fact that I felt that fighting a horde of DarkWraiths felt more fitting. I think it helped paint how dangerous the Wraiths were. After all, I know Dark Souls is limited in its hardware, but I think a horde of Darkwraiths would have made New Londo seem even more corrupted once the water was drained. And the sheer amount of bodies that Jack saw was enough without having to resort to having those same corpses glump together so to attack the teen.

*Finally, next chapter we return to Earth and the Autobots! Now, finally I have three choices as to where I will drop Jack back off on Earth. I already have an idea, but I just wanted to see what you guys think?  
>-Crossfire<br>-Operation: Bumblebee, Part 2  
>-Armada<p>

* * *

><p><em>RxR! I would love to hear your comments!<em>


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